The Lone Career
by VolturiQueen1993
Summary: A Career: a tribute who trains for the Games and volunteers for the glory of winning. Amethyst from District 1 may be considered a Career due to her skill with various weapons, however, during the 73rd Hunger Games after volunteering for a girl with a limp, Amethyst enters the arena with a conscious. Takes place from 73rd Hunger Games and will end at Mockingjay's conclusion.
1. Life In District 1

**Rewritten as some of this was heavily similar with **_**The Hunger Games.**_

**Read on, and may the odds be ever in your favor.**

* * *

"So, thinking about volunteering tomorrow?" Glimmer asks me as we left school.

I turn to face my sister and say, "Maybe, just so no twelve year-old or poor injured soul gets put in the arena."

"If you do, Amethyst, I'm not surprised if you win," says Glimmer with a smile.

I just smile as we continue our walk home.

Tomorrow is reaping day, where two children from each of the twelve districts of Panem, between the ages of twelve and eighteen, are selected via lottery from two reaping glasses. In my district, District 1, it is pretty common for older kids from fifteen to eighteen to volunteer. These kids tend to be more enthusiastic about participating and tend to more brutal in the arena.

The outside districts call the tributes that train for the Games prior to volunteering _Careers_. And my district is full of kids that train for the Games.

Well, almost every child, as those living in the few pockets of poverty, known in District 1 as the Dents, spend most of their lives supporting their parents that training for the Games is the last thing on their minds; though we have one victor from there, Luminance DeRossi, who won at the age of fourteen in the 69th Hunger Games and he wasn't a Career. My mother grew up in one of the Dents before marrying dad.

Today, the sun is out and there is not a cloud in sight. Flowers bloom in front of the picturesque houses in the well-to-do areas of the district. Surrounding our district is a twenty-foot high stone wall with barb wire coiled on top, with two watchtowers at the entrance. The red flags showcasing the golden seal of Panem wave from poles or are on the buildings like banners. Peacekeepers walk the street, their guns in tow. The Dents are located sporadically in the district, though one is at the industrial part of District 1.

Our district produces luxury, and as a result, most of us are well-off and well-fed. The average income for the District 1 citizen is upper middle class, while those living in the Dents are below the poverty level. Training for the Games is illegal in all districts, but in districts like One, Two, and Four, the Peacekeepers here play a blind eye to it.

Part of me wonders if President Coriolanus Snow purposely allows the wealthy districts to have trained children or else there wouldn't be a victor.

Glimmer and I walk into the Victor's Village, where we live. My father, Brighton Walkrose, won a previous Hunger Games; the 48th Hunger Games to be exact. He, without a surprise, joined the other Careers in the beginning of the Games. They had no survival supplies in the Cornucopia in his year, but he managed to get some from sponsors. The arena was a marshland with toxic swamps too.

Living with father in the Victor's Village, is my mother and his wife, named Shimmer, my eighteen year-old brother Onyx, sixteen year-old Glimmer, a set of twins, Splendor and Emerald, both of them are twelve, a ten year-old sister named Sapphire, and myself, fifteen year-old Amethyst.

Being in the Victor's Village, we live in luxury and our lifestyle mostly mirrors that of the Capitol, with rich food, showers with a panel of many options, windows that allow you to focus on a certain part of the district, though we are normal looking thank you very much.

In each district, a Victor's Village has twelve mansions, but our Victor's Village has twenty, considering that we have a large pool of victors. It is common here to have a victor whose parents or parent was a victor as well, though if you win and one of your parents is a victor of a previous Hunger Games, you still reside in that mansion. It just adds up the number of years you live in the Victor's Village.

Glimmer and I walk up the drive to our home, the early afternoon sun beating down on us. Typically it is perfect weather to swim in the pool in the backyard, though I would rather do my homework because if I volunteer, today might be the last day I might do my homework.

Also, Glimmer has to go to the Career Academy here in District 1. I train in the gym.

I don't understand why I have to do an essay about the Dark Days the day before reaping day, as we don't have school tomorrow. Do they want to fail us postmortem?

We enter the mansion, with Glimmer saying, "Mom, we are home!"

"Glimmer, you're academy uniform is in your room," called mom. "I had it cleaned."

Onyx has beaten us home, as he and Marvel, Glimmer's boyfriend since middle school, are watching television. Basically some sitcom; it is interesting how they disguise propaganda as free entertainment.

While Glimmer goes and kisses her boyfriend in the living room, I lug my backpack as I go up the carpeted steps to the first floor to my room. Basically my room adds emphasis to my name and personality. The walls are painted purple, and sitting in the alcove in my room is a queen-sized bed with periwinkle and white bedcovers and lavender decorative pillows. The pictures on the wall are abstract paintings as well as a tack board above my mahogany desk. My bookshelf is mahogany as well.

I set down my backpack as I sit down at my workstation and turn on my computer. I grab the music chip sitting nearby and insert it in the computer as I begin my essay.

All the music I have in that chip is classical music, basically because that pop and hip hop music drives me crazy. Music chips and computers are made in District 3, but only those in the Capitol and the victors and their families in wealthy districts can get access to them.

Panem, where the twelve districts work so that the citizens of the Capitol can live lazy and decadent lives.

I type up the essay, basically using my notes from class and information from books that I have.

Tomorrow morning, I will wake up early and hit the gym to have a last minute practice with our weapons. I am very versatile with weapons: I can wield a sword, throw spears, knives, and axes, shoot a bow and arrow and a dart gun. Glimmer taught me archery, though while I am good with it, I am not masterful with the skill.

My weapon of choice is the dart gun, primarily because it can offer more darts then a quiver would arrows. Basically, dart guns have a eyepiece in which you can focus in on your target without them noticing.

But I am not one of those who think that being reaped is such a huge honor. How is killing a defenseless twelve year-old honor? Splendor and Emerald are twelve, their first year of eligibility and while Splendor is starting to learn spear throwing from his brother, Emerald is scared to death about tomorrow. This morning before school, she asked mom why couldn't it be between fifteen and eighteen instead of twelve and eighteen.

I could see where she was going with this, as twelve is too young to be put in an arena with brutish teenagers who had training.

Sapphire is ten, and she says she can't wait to turn twelve. Why would you look forward to something like this? She is learning knife throwing from our cousin Cashmere Mercuritte. Cashmere and her brother Gloss won in consecutive Games, Cashmere winning the 64th Hunger Games and Gloss winning the 63rd. Both are very skilled with a knife; seeing reruns featuring their Games, I wouldn't want to be in the arena with either of them, despite the fact that they are my cousins.

By four PM, I get my essay done and I head downstairs for a snack. I go to the kitchen that has the state of the art appliances that would fit in a Capitol home. I go to the ice box and freezer, which has a mouthpiece where you could say what you want.

"SuperScoop ice cream," I say into the mouthpiece. A carton of it comes out from a chute and it closes when I pick up the carton. I give myself a reasonable serving before sending the carton to the freezer.

I eat my ice cream as I head into the living room.

"Turn on to channel ten," I voice command the screen. The four o'clock news shows up on the screen as I sit down on the puffy white couch.

The reporter is done talking about a coal shortage in District 12 when they decide to show Caesar Flickerman interview the Head Gamemaker Seneca Crane, like he does every year on the day before the reaping, though this is only Seneca Crane's second year as Head Gamemaker.

"Change to channel thirty," I command the television, not wanting to hear about Crane's expectations for tomorrow. Luckily these pre-reaping interviews are not mandatory to watch. The channel switches to the one of the other Capitol broadcast channels.

I heave a sigh since this is one of Glimmer's favorite shows, _Cassiopeia and Artemis_. It is a sitcom about two Capitol teenage girls who struggle through high school and whatnot. From one of the early scenes, I recognize this as the episode where the two girls decide to go to District 4 to meet Finnick Odair.

The thing is, most people don't know how much propaganda is hidden beneath these shows. They portray the citizens of _all_ of the districts as being able to communicate with each other and well-fed and most shows, they portray Districts 10, 11, and 12 as hick towns.

Luckily the poor districts do not watch the "free entertainment" broadcasted by the Capitol, as they mostly get the news, and Hunger Games reruns.

I decide that I am wasting my time in front of the television and turn it off before finishing my ice cream in the kitchen.

I ascend the stairs to my room and when I appear in front of my wardrobe, I tap on the screen and scroll through the items I have in my wardrobe before deciding to view my reaping dress.

Mom buys us new reaping attire every year, a week before the reaping. This year, my mom brought me a emerald colored, satin dress, the skirt falling at the knees and the buttons are pearls. It has a golden colored sash and the quarter sleeves are slightly puffed by the elbow.

This looks good for a party but not a reaping. A black plain dress is suitable for the occasion, as you are about to go to your own coffin in a few days.

Yeah, because we have to dress nice to a reaping, how sick is that?

I have the dress go back in the wardrobe before I grab my sketchbook, my coloring pencils; sketching pencils, my music chip, and my player with earphones (I just insert the music chip in there to play the music.

I go outside and sit on the front steps before inserting the chip in the player before I start sketching. I start sketching out what looks like the ocean before drawing out the shoreline.

Last year's Games was brutal to say the least. It only lasted for a week, the 72nd Hunger Games. The arena was a ruined city in a desert. Most of the tributes went crazy because of dehydration. The victor was a dark brown-skinned boy from District 2, Theo Grayson, because he beat the District 3 tribute with a brick.

In District 1, we are taught that being reaped was a honor, and that those reaped should bring honor to their district. If you look deep in the history books of Panem, you will see that the Games formed after the Dark Days, after District 13 was supposedly wiped out. The Hunger Games are a cruel form of punishment to the twelve surviving districts for the rebellion. The Capitol is basically saying: repay us by giving your children to us so that they can slaughter each other on live television and there is nothing you can do about it.

Also, what makes it unfair is the reaping system. When your twelve, your name is only in there once, when your thirteen, your name is in there twice and by the time you are eighteen, your name is in the reaping bowl seven times. Also, let's say your family is starving, and you apply for tesserae, which is a meager year's supply of grain and oil, you have your name added additional times to the reaping once only per family member.

The poor are more likely to be reaped into these death games, though in my district, kids who went for a day without having empty bellies volunteer. It is a good thing because well-fed tributes have better chances of survival, but is also a downfall because since we have full stomachs, our tributes stay near the Cornucopia, hog the supplies and food, and kill those who come back to scavenge for supplies.

I don't know what I might plan if I do volunteer, but I don't want to make myself dependent on food and supplies in the Cornucopia.

* * *

"Who is mentoring for this year?" Glimmer asked dad as the family sat for dinner.

"Me and Elegance Potter," said father, before drinking his milk.

There are usually two mentors, a man and a woman who won previous Games to mentor the new tributes for the Hunger Games. In our district because we are one of the districts with a large pool of victors, our victors take turns on who volunteers the tributes. Last year it was Comfort Gray and Lux Seabold. However, there are some Districts with a meager pool of tributes that the same victors mentor the tributes. Dad says that it looks Haymitch Abernathy from District 12 is might become wasted in a few years because of his alcoholism. He is their only living victor since the 50th Hunger Games. District 12 only had two victors, counting Haymitch Abernathy.

The other victors not mentoring still go to the Capitol to watch the Games there. They bring their families with them if they are married and have children. Dad knows victors from other districts as a result, like Enobaria from District 2 and Mags from District 4. Dad is very good friends with Beetee, Wiress, Johanna Mason, and Cecelia.

Last year, I caught Glimmer flirting with Finnick Odair from District 4 and because of that, President Snow asked dad if he can pay for Finnick to have the pleasure of Glimmer's company. Dad politely declined to President Snow's face but when we got home to District 1, father gave me and my older siblings a long talk about what happens to victors like Finnick after a Hunger Game.

"If a victor is highly desirable, President Snow has them go on _dates_ with a Capitol citizen for a very high price," said dad that night. "You might have to stay in the Capitol for a month or two before going home and they might ask you to come back again to give people the pleasure of your company."

Only Onyx and I translated what he said. The prostitution of victors to Capitol citizens and children of living victors is another reason why the concept of the Games is jacked-up. From what I heard, female victors start getting prostituted out at fifteen while for boys it is sixteen.

"I'm confident that District 1 will have a victor this year," said mom, sipping her white wine from her wine glass.

"Can I volunteer this year?" Splendor piped up.

"No, Splendor," said dad sternly. "You are only twelve and don't have the experience yet." Dad turned to Onyx, Glimmer, and I and said, "Do me a favor and do not volunteer this year. I would rather have the three of you safe then in the arena."

I could see where he was coming from, as it would be hard for a victor to mentor their own child in the Hunger Games.

Since it is the night before reaping day, we have no dessert ("I do not want you to gain the extra pounds before the Games if you volunteer," mom told Glimmer after she protested).

I go to my own bathroom and take a warm shower with lavender scented shampoo before going into my silk pajamas and brushing my teeth. Seeing my reflection, I have dark blonde hair, blue eyes, and plump lips. Typical District 1 features (though citizens living in the Dents are brown haired and have freckled skin), though I am not pretty as Glimmer.

After brushing my teeth for three minutes, I spit out the toothpaste before wiping my mouth.

* * *

**This was longer than the original first chapter.** **Concerning with Panem propaganda in shows like sitcoms and dramedies**, **Nazi Germany filled movies with propaganda as well, anti-Semitic propaganda especially. **


	2. The Reaping

**Reaping Day.**

* * *

I wake up at five thirty in the morning, still feeling the groggy haze. I was surprised that I slept like a baby, as I usually do not sleep on the night before the reaping. I slowly lift myself from the bed before going to wardrobe to select my gym attire.

I select my white t-shirt and blue jeans before they come out of the wardrobe. After putting them on, I tie up my tennis shoes before I put my hair in a ponytail.

Glimmer and Onyx wake up five minutes after I do and the three of us are sitting at the kitchen table, eating cereal.

"I don't know why dad doesn't want us to volunteer this year," said Glimmer. "I already am skilled with archery and Onyx, you are very good with a spear –"

"You heard what dad said last night," said Onyx, cutting her off. "He doesn't want to lose sleep with us in the arena when he mentors this year."

Glimmer gives him a death glare before she continues eating her cereal.

This is not the first time dad mentored. He was a mentor two years after his Hunger Games and he mentored when I was twelve. Now that Onyx, Glimmer, and I are eligible enough for the Games, he worries about losing sleep over us being in the arena and sending us to our deaths.

We finish eating our cereal before we head out to the gym; the Career Academy is closed on reaping day.

It won't be long before Helena Trinket, the escort for District 1 comes and does the reaping. She has a sister named Effie who is the escort for District 12. Helena is always overenthusiastic about the reapings.

I get in the car with my two older siblings before Onyx drives off. The streets are quiet at this time of day. Since it is Reaping Day, no one works and school is not in session. The Capitol expects us to treat this as some big festival.

How is seeing children slaughtering other children festive?

The only trucks out today are Capitol trucks taking jewels and other luxury items to the cargo trains to take them to the Capitol. I guess that half of these gems might be surgically implanted on Capitol citizens.

Onyx pulls into the gym parking lot and we get out after the car comes to a complete stop. The first floor of the gym has weights, cardio equipment, and other exercise equipment, and when you go up to the second floor, it has training stations for weapons: swords, machetes, dart guns, spears, and etcetera. This floor of gym is filling up and Onyx and Marvel knuckle each other before heading over to throw spears. While Glimmer heads over to the archery station, I proceed to the station holding dart shooting weapons. I pick up the dart gun, look into the eyepiece connected and begin shooting the target with darts.

Once the first target becomes riddled with darts, it descends from view and a new target ascends into view. As I was reloading the dart gun with more darts, I heard someone say, "Nice aim."

I turn to see Shiner Sanque leave the swords and approach the dart gun station. He is the same age as Onyx, and has the common District 1 blonde hair and has grey colored eyes. Shiner is one of those District 1 teens who spent their youth training for the Games. He keeps saying that he will volunteer at eighteen and how he would win the Games he will be in. His father is the foreman of the sweatshop converting gems from their original raw state into their refined cut.

Like most of the boys in this district, he is arrogant and is cocky about his chances of winning. Hopefully someone volunteers before he does this year.

"Come to watch?" I asked him, my voice full of acid.

"No one can help to see that your aim is very good," he said, ignoring my hostility.

"Well, I wouldn't be murdering children for fun unlike you," I tell him with hostility.

"What is wrong bringing honor to our district?" he asks.

I raise my eyebrow at him and said, "Well, we both have a different definition of honor, Shiner."

"I don't get why you care for the outlying districts," said Shiner incredulously. "They are nobodies."

"What is the definition of nobody?" I asked him before setting down my dart gun and proceeded to the archery station where Glimmer was.

"I saw you talking to Shiner over there," said Glimmer as I grabbed another bow and a arrow.

"That arrogant piece of tripe," I said, pulling back my arrow before shooting it to the target.

"I don't understand why you don't like him," said Glimmer. "He's very good looking."

"I want brains in a man, not just his looks," I sighed, grabbing another arrow.

"Well, whatever fits you," said Glimmer, "but I think that the two are cute together."

I gave her a death glare. I would rather be mauled by Mutts in a arena then date the likes of him.

Arrogant victor wannabes are not my favorite people in the world. Period.

* * *

By eleven o'clock, I am buttoning up the pearl buttons on my emerald dress. I then put on my pantyhose before slipping on my leather flats.

I brush my long dark golden waves of hair before looking into my jewelry box, picking up my grandmother's amethyst brooch. She was the victor of the 25th Hunger Games, the First Quarter Quell. She is my dad's mother, and this amethyst brooch was her token.

A tribute is allowed to take a token with them to remind them of their district, though one time a girl used her token, a wooden ball, to kill herself by throwing it by the mines of the tribute launch plate.

I attach the brooch to my golden sash before heading outside my room, just as the town whistle blew to remind us that we have to be at the square.

* * *

The hot summer sun beats down on us as we and every child in District 1 from twelve to eighteen walk towards the Peacekeepers to be identified. We are divided by gender and age during the reaping.

The square in which the Justice Building is located is surrounded by shops, which gives the reaping a holiday feel. Usually around this time of day, you'll smell the aroma of baked goods from the local bakery, but not today.

I wait in line to get my finger pricked and identified and once my turn is done, I go and stand with the other fifteen year old girls, and Glimmer is standing with the sixteen year old girls behind us. Most of us here are blonde, though there are the usual brown-haired children of the Dents among the groups of people with blond hair.

First the mayor and his wife file out of the Justice Building before my dad and another female victor with reddish-blonde curls. I look at the reaping glass, knowing that I have four slips with my name in there.

It is not long before we see Helena Trinket, in her usual purple wig come out of the Justice Building in a very perky manner before she approaches the microphone and says, "Good afternoon, District 1, and Happy Hunger Games. Let's watch a film shall we?"

It is the same boring propaganda piece that they show every year. I am nearly asleep when the film ends.

"Now, time to choose our young man and woman for the 73rd Hunger Games," said Helena. "We'll start with the girls as it is customary.

She strides over to the girls' bowl and takes out a slip of folded paper. There is a heavy pin drop as we watch Helena unfold the paper in front of the microphone.

"Silk Ryerson," announces Helena.

A brown-haired girl, obviously from the Dents due to the way her clothes hang from her malnourished body, limps away from the thirteen year-old girls and limps up the stage.

"Any volunteers?" asked Helena.

Without thinking, I raised my hand and said, "I will."

Helena gestures to me to come forward and I leave the group of fifteen year-old girls and approach the platform in front of the Justice Building. I see that my dad is in shock, because I didn't listen to him when he told Onyx, Glimmer, and I not to volunteer this year. I can't bear to see a thirteen year old girl with a bad leg fight for herself in the arena.

Once Silk leaves the platform and I have ascended to it, Helena asked me, "What is your name?"

"Amethyst Walkrose," I answer.

"The daughter of Brighton Walkrose," said Helena. "Well the odds are in your favor then. Now, we will select our boy tribute."

She strides over to the boys' reaping glass and returned to the microphone with a piece of paper.

"Bronze Shackle –" Helena began.

"I volunteer!" I heard Shiner shout from the group of eighteen year-old boys.

No. No, no, no. Not Shiner. He can't possibly…

I see him confidently striding up the platform before ascending the steps.

"What's your name?" asks Helena.

"Shiner Sanque," said Shiner.

"Well, well, two volunteers from District 1," says Helena as if this was the first time it happened.

Mayor Platt begins to read the Treaty of Treason followed by listing off the long list of victors from District 1.

"Our tributes from District 1: Amethyst Walkrose and Shiner Sanque," says Helena. She has us shake hands before saying, "Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor."

Technically speaking, the odds are _not _in my favor since Shiner is my district partner.

Helena escorts us inside the Justice Building, where we will be in custody and say good bye to our families before we embark on the train to the Capitol.

* * *

**Thoughts?**


	3. The Training Center

**Warning: contains mention of cannibalism**

* * *

The first people to visit me in the Justice Building are my family. Onyx and Glimmer are sporting proud grins; Splendor and Sapphire look envious; Emerald is nervous, while mom is slightly teary-eyed and dad looks stern.

"I said not to volunteer this year," says dad.

"What was I to do? Let that girl die in the arena?" I ask.

Father sighed and said, "Amethyst Walkrose, I understand your reason, however –"

"I am in this, father," I argue. "I volunteered, and I can't back away from this."

He sighs once more before replying, "I'll be seeing you and Shiner on the train."

He hugs me before embracing my mother and hugging my siblings and he leaves the room.

Glimmer is the first to talk after dad leaves the room.

"You and Shiner have to show what we're made of," says Glimmer.

"Glimmer, two victors from the same district is not in the rulebook," I say. "There will be twenty-four of us, and only one is allowed to come out."

"You two could at last until the Final Eight," said Glimmer.

"You know how to use dart guns," said Onyx. "It will give you a advantage."

"But that might not be –" I begin.

"Use a sword or a bow and arrow," said Onyx.

I know with a faint heart that the Cornucopia might not hold those weapons. One year, there were only spiked maces for the tributes to bludgeon each other with and tributes had to be given their weapon of choice from sponsors.

Mom then puts her arms around me and hugs me tightly.

"Just come back home, okay," said mom tearfully. "I want you home after this."

"I'll try as hard as I can," I tell her, knowing that my odds of winning are slim due to Shiner's skill with a sword. I would be easy sinew for him to impale me with a sword.

She nods before kissing my forehead.

"Time's up," said one of the Peacekeepers. Emerald rushes to hug me before she gets dragged away by the Peacekeepers. I am alone after my family is escorted out of the room.

I sit down on one of the velvet couches, trying to think what might happen over the next few days. There is the Opening Ceremony tomorrow night, where the tributes will be on horse-drawn chariots, wearing what represents their district, followed by three days of training. The night before the Games start, they have us interviewed…

My thoughts are interrupted when I see Cashmere and Gloss enter the room, the both of them looking confident.

"Now that you're off to the arena, hopefully you'll give us our next victor," said Cashmere. "We had District 2 last year, and District 7 the year before that."

"But I don't know what my odds are until I see who the other twenty-two are," I say.

"Someone is a pessimist lately," said Gloss. "You got to outsmart them in the end, even your own district partner if you have to."

"I know how you abhor Shiner," says Cashmere, smirking. "If he really gets on your nerves in the arena, stab him in the back with a knife."

"Okay…well, thanks, Cashmere," I say, not knowing what to think.

"You'll make District 1 proud," said Gloss, putting his hand on my shoulder. "The odds are in your favor. You can win this."

"Okay, Gloss," I said. "Thank you for the encouragement."

They both enfolded me in their arms before they left.

I sat on the velvet couch, seeing that I have no more visitors. Moments later, the Peacekeepers escorted me from the room.

* * *

As Helena babbles on and on to Shiner and I as the car leaves the Justice Building to the train station, I glance out at the window. Unfortunately, this might be the last time I see my district.

Technically, I would be considered a Career because of my skill with various weapons and due to the fact that I started training with weapons when I was as young as nine. Also, like many tributes from our district before us, Shiner and I are both blond and have light colored eyes.

We follow Helena out of the car into the train station, with cameras flashing at us. I sneak a look to see that I appear stoic and neutral while Shiner is waving and smiling. That wasn't something that Johanna Mason from District 7 did. She pretended to be a sniveling weakling until there were eight people left with her in the arena. Not even the Careers that year were prepared when she threw an axe into their chests.

The train didn't surprise me. It was typical Capitol in its grandeur, something that I am used to at home. I'm sure the tributes from the poorer districts will be looking at their trains with big eyes.

Since Districts 1, 2, and 4 share borders with the Capitol, it will take only an hour for us to get to the Capitol, and we will be the first ones in the Training Center. District 12 will most likely get to the Capitol tomorrow morning and they will head to the prep stations while the first thing Shiner and I will see is our temporary apartment.

"Let's watch the reapings," says Helena as she led me and my district partner into the lounge car. Meeting us there are dad and Elegance, both of them holding a notepad and pencil. Shiner and Helena both sit in separate chairs while I sat on the floor with my legs crossed as the screen turns on.

Only certain tributes stick out in my mind. As usual they start with District 1. In District 2, two tributes that look like they could be siblings volunteered. There were also volunteers in District 4, a bronze-haired boy named Frennic and a blonde haired girl named Tanya. In District 9, a girl with a bad leg was reaped. I am reminded of Silk Ryerson and the way she limped up to the stage in front of the Justice Building before I volunteered. This poor girl from District 9 isn't lucky as no one volunteered for her. In District 12, we see Helena's sister Effie pull out two names from the two reaping glasses. A fifteen year-old girl was reaped and so was a boy of twelve. As usual Effie doesn't ask for volunteers.

Dad passed me the notepad and I look at it. Among our opponents, are Severina and Lucius Gleeson from District 2, twins, and according to what was written in the notes below their names, they and their fourteen year-old sister Clove are currently living with their aunt, who happens to be Enobaria, as their parents were "unhinged." Also, Tanya is Mag's granddaughter while Frennic turns out to be Finnick's own cousin.

So five tributes related to victors volunteered this year. Though you volunteered, you wouldn't want to kill your own sibling, would you? That's like Cashmere and Gloss heading back into the arena together. Hopefully the victors would not go back into the arena, though there are rumors that it is the theme for the 4th Quarter Quell, the 100th Hunger Games.

I don't think President Snow would allow people to look through those Quarter Quell cards, unless one of his young grandchildren accidentally stumbled upon the box and ended up reading the themes.

"What do you think?" Elegance asks Shiner and me about our competition.

"Most of them are pretty easy pickings," said Shiner smugly.

"I wouldn't be so sure," said dad. "When I was in the arena, the girl from District 12 was in the final six until she got mauled by Mutts. She was very skilled with a throwing axe."

I know what he is talking about. In his Games, a blonde girl from District 12 named Antonia outlasted her district partner by moving from place to place, only killing if she felt threatened. She was in with the remaining six before she got mauled by lynx Muttations.

That was when Seneca Crane's father, Augustus, was Head Gamemaker. Augustus Crane's arenas were known to have particularly cruel twists. In the 71st Hunger Games, his last year as Head Gamemaker before his son would take his place, he placed the tributes in a flat plain with poisonous swamps and (eye-poppingly), a Mutt that resembled something of the ancient cryptid known that was known as the Leeds Devil way back in the day. That was the year Johanna Mason won.

"We should have some lunch before we arrive in the Capitol," said Helena in her bubbly manner, before she led the four of us to the dining car.

Sitting on the table was the usual quality of meals in District 1 and in the Capitol. I sat down next to father before I helped myself with lamb stew and hot chocolate.

While Helena talked with both father and Elegance about what she thought about their respective Games, I drifted into thought as I ate my lamb stew. For the first years of my life, I would sit with my family as we watched the Games unfold. Now, I will be on the opposite side of the cameras; I will be in the arena.

I will not be there to help shield my three younger siblings from the horrors that they see every year, though Sapphire and Splendor are pretty much desensitized by the horrors. There are things that happen in the Games that are not truly appropriate for the innocent minded and the young. I remembered this one time when this District 6 tribute named Titus went insane and started eating the other tributes. They had to create an avalanche to kill him so that the victor wouldn't be a lunatic.

"…as Effie says, if you press coals hard enough, they turn to pearls," says Helena. No, a pearl is produced within a shelled mollusk, something that comes from District 4. We have a machine in back in District 1 which transforms graphite into diamonds. Since District 13 mined graphite, I have no clue where we get it from. I wonder what else produces graphite, as District 12 mines coal.

"Pearls don't come from coal," I tell her. Everyone stops eating and talking as they glance at me.

"Pardon me?" asked Helena, looking slightly caught off-guard.

"Pearls are produced within shelled mollusks," I say to her, turning my cup of hot chocolate. "District 4 gives us the shelled mollusks to extract the pearls from them so they could be sent to the Capitol."

"You know, your intelligence will be a very good angle for you," said Helena pleasantly. Everyone soon gives a nervous laugh. I would rather have my Hunger Games angle as being intelligent. In most Games, the girls from my district are often given the seductive and attractive angle because of our commonplace blonde hair and attractive appearances; it puts them at great risk of being prostituted out to Capitol citizens if they win the Games.

I don't consider myself attractive but I might be considered desirable enough, unfortunately.

"Of course she's intelligent," said dad, smiling as he pats my back. "She spends most of her time reading."

Of course, I do. Reading is one of my many past times which fill my day. Unfortunately, I wouldn't have any access to books and drawing utensils in the Capitol. Well, it would be pointless anyway.

Right on schedule, we see the buildings of the Capitol gleaming in the afternoon sunlight, its pearl white and modern buildings reflecting off the sunlight. The train enters darkness as it gradually slows down. In moments, we arrive in a bright train station, with many of the Capitol citizens cheering. I have a feeling that this crowd is going to stay up all night seeing the tributes get off their trains.

We do, after all, come to the Capitol in ascending order from District 1 to District 12.

Shiner waves and smiles at the crowd as our party is escorted by Capitol officials to a waiting black car.

"You two will meet your prep teams and stylist tomorrow after breakfast," said Helena, as we were being driven to the training center. "On the bright side, you two will be one of the first ones using the apartments tonight before the Opening Ceremony tomorrow night."

I have a feeling that she told this to the tributes from our district before us. Well, this is only her fourth year as escort to the District 1 tributes; she used to be District 5's escort.

The training center is guarded by Peacekeepers; probably so that nobody would get in and out. My heels echo off the floor of the lobby as we cross towards the tribute elevator. Elegance presses the button 'D1' before the doors close. It only takes a second for the elevator to get to our floor before the doors open.

My family has been in hotels here in the Capitol during past Games, so the apartment's elegance doesn't surprise me. Shiner, however, is awestruck, judging by his wide eyes and smile as he drinks in his surroundings.

"Why won't you two get settled," said Helena. "Before dinner time, you should wash up."

* * *

After a hot shower, I got dressed into a long, purple sleeveless shirt and black sweatpants before I turned on the television that was in the room. As usual, Caesar and Claudius were talking about their thoughts on the reaping and the tributes.

"We have five tributes that are related to victors," said Caesar. "They will provide excellent competition."

Behind them, a three paneled video of a past Hunger Games showed up; and of course, it was Enobaria's. They always talk about a past Game when talking about the reaping.

"Remember this one?" said Claudius.

"Ah, I remember this one," said Caesar, "the way Enobaria defeated the last tribute. Very thrilling."

"I could say that it left me with a sick stomach," said Claudius, before the two men laughed.

"We could point out to the viewers that two of our District 2 tributes are related to Enobaria Reyes," said Caesar, just as it showed Enobaria rip out the tribute's throat.

No need for me to know me that, as I already know that Severina and Lucius are related to Enobaria. It wouldn't surprise me if they turn out to be just as deadly and bloodthirsty as she was. However, the same could be said for any District 2 tribute.

Elegance comes in and says it's time for dinner. Good because I am hungry.

Dad is already in the dining room with Helena and Shiner as Elegance and I enter. The Avoxs stand in the corner, waiting to serve the occupants when ordered. The table is laden with the usual extravagant food that the Capitol citizens and the victors and their families fill their stomachs with.

"Tomorrow night should be very extraordinary," said Helena in a bubbly voice as we sat down at the table. "District 1 has always been the best."

"Do you know who our stylists are?" Shiner asked, as he served himself sirloin steak and whipped mash potatoes.

"You are not supposed to know until tomorrow," said dad quite sternly. "I was given notification two days ago about who the stylists are, and mentors are not allowed to relay that information to the tributes."

It wouldn't be hard to guess that my stylist might have dyed skin and ridiculous hair. Every year, the tributes from our district wear the most ridiculous, over-the-top, flashy outfits for the Opening Ceremony, mainly tunics or one-piece jumpsuits laden with jewels and pearls and our tributes are often either spray painted gold or silver. As our district does manufacture luxury items, it is the reason why our Opening Ceremony outfits are ridiculous and over-the-top. At least District 12 wears those coal mining outfits. Technically, all the tributes look ridiculous for the Opening Ceremony.

District 12 is lucky, as their tributes never wear ridiculously flashy and over-the-top outfits for the Opening Ceremony.

"Any advice yet, dad," I say, "or will you save the mentoring for tomorrow."

"Tomorrow after breakfast, you and Shiner are going to Remake Center to prepare for the Opening Ceremony," said dad. "Do not resist what the prep team does. Resisting will only make things difficult."

Later at night, I try to sleep soundly, only to have a nightmare where Enobaria ripped out my throat with her sharp teeth. I later wake up, sweating and gasping for breath.

* * *

**R & R**


	4. The Tribute Parade

**Read on.**

* * *

I woke up early in the morning, yawning as I stretched. If yesterday were some nightmare, I would have woken up in my bed in our home at the Victor's Village, but nope, it is too real. Seeing the crystalline buildings of the Capitol proved further proved it.

Helena was babbling about her expectations for the day during breakfast while the Avoxes served us our morning milk. Shiner was discussing his possible angle for the Games with both Elegance and dad; I stabbed my hash browns repeatedly as a result.

I wish I can shove a brick down his throat.

"It won't be long before Effie arrives with Haymitch and the tributes from District 12," said Helena, before looking at me and Shiner, "and in the meantime, you two should change into your reaping outfits so your prep teams will recognize you."

I think our faces are enough for recognition. However, I do as I am asked and change into the emerald colored dress I wore yesterday.

"Are you excited?" Shiner asks me as we leave the Training Center.

"To be meat on a platter to be experimented with before being sent to my death?" I ask incredulously.

"I don't understand your aversion to this," said Shiner. "One of us is bound to win."

"_**One**_ of us?" I repeat hotly. "That is not what you said back in District 1."

"Amethyst, Shiner," warned father.

I give dad an apologetic glance before flicking a scowl at Shiner. The nerve of him; saying that one of us might win when he constantly boasted that he was going to be victor.

When we arrive at the Remake Center, I notice that we are not the only ones that arrived. Upon entering, I see a trio of people enthusiastically usher the girl from District 2 into the next room, where they will be ready her for the Opening Ceremony. There are two large prep rooms, one for the boys and the other for the girls and each station is separated by curtains.

The lobbyist in the room presses a buzzer labeled _District 1 _and a minute later, two groups of three people enter the room, looking overly enthusiastic. A group consisting of a woman with tanned skin and blue hair, another woman with blond hair and diamonds implanted on her arms, and yet another woman with purple skin, green hair, and long golden talons, dragged me away, talking very enthusiastically as another prep team dragged Shiner away.

"I was so thrilled when I was assigned to help remake you," said the diamond-armed woman as they dragged me to a curtained station in the girls' prep area. Yeah, I'm sure all three of them were thrilled being the prep team of one of the daughters of a District 1 victor.

They tell me to strip and I put on a long, shapeless, blue gown as they set aside my reaping attire. They introduce themselves: the blue haired woman is Marcella, the diamond-armed woman is Beatrice, and the purple skinned woman is named Glaucia.

Perfect names for such odd people.

I lay down on the table as the other female tributes started coming in. First, Glaucia and Beatrice start waxing off any excess hairs off my body, and also, they end up waxing off three layers of my skin and nails.

Subsequently, they remove any extra hairs on my hairline and eyebrows before lathing my skin. My prep team is chatting away as they do their handiwork.

"At least you're polite and not resisting," said Glaucia, as she began to work on my toenails. "In the last prep team I was in, this boy cried a lot."

"Unsurprising, as he was District 12," said Beatrice. "Their mentor is hardly sober."

Sure, trash the kids from one of the poor districts, and to make matters worse, he died during the bloodbath.

Once Glaucia was done giving me manicures and pedicures, they lathed my body three times.

"Excellent, you are ready," said Marcella, clapping her hands together.

"You will be perfect when you see what Cornelia comes up with," said Beatrice. I guess Cornelia is my stylist. The trio led me from the prep room to a room where I will meet my stylist.

Two minutes after sitting on a bench, a tall woman comes in. She almost meets my expectations, as she has emerald green hair and long black talons as fingernails; fortunately, her skin is normal.

"Hello, Amethyst, I'm Cornelia," she says in her Capitol accent, holding out her hand. "I'm sure we will be great friends."

_Yeah, until I get slaughtered in the arena_, I thought, but I shake her hand and say, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"District 1 and daughter of Brighton Walkrose," she says. "This should be fairly easy."

Luckily, I wasn't spray-painted gold or silver, but I was dressed in a scarlet red, velvet jumpsuit, with diamonds and pearls sewn into the middle of the bodice and the shoulders were covered in emeralds and diamonds; the belt was coated completely in diamonds and pearls and the boots were a golden color with diamond encrusted buckles. I was soon fitted with a long, gold fur lined cape and a golden crown was pinned to my head, and they have my hair fall down in dark golden waves.

When I enter the launch room where the chariots are, I see that Shiner is just as ridiculous as I am. I steal a look at the District 12 tributes. They should consider themselves lucky that they wear those coal mining outfits, and that they do not look too ridiculous like we do.

I notice that Severina and her brother from District 2 are wearing jumpsuits made to look like marble and granite, and both the District 4 tributes wear ugly costumes composed of seaweed and coral. All of us look ridiculous to a boot.

The mentors are here, probably to give the tributes some advice.

"Excited?" Shiner asked me.

I roll my eyes at him, scoff, and cross my arms. No, I am not excited to be showed-off to the Capitol before being sent to the arena to be slaughtered.

I notice my dad talking with Finnick, and from the expressions on their faces, they look like they could be arguing; even Finnick points at me for a moment. What are they talking about?

A cool female voice tells the tributes to board the chariots, and Shiner and I board the chariot with the District 1 crest on the front of it. After dad and Elegance approach the District 1 chariot, dad says, "Remember to win the crowd. Wave and smile at the most."

"It's best to look content, like you have been invited to this," said Elegance.

Yeah, invited to my own death is more like it.

"Are you nervous, Amethyst?" dad asks me, looking concerned.

"No, not at all," I lie and at that moment, the gate opened and the chariot started moving. I put on a smile as I wave at the cheering masses. I side glance to see that Shiner is clearly _**enjoying**_ the attention. Self-centered, arrogant prick. I would love to see that smirk wipe off in the arena.

The masses of Capitol citizens cheer as they see the chariots roll through the street. Yes, cheering for twenty-three children that will be murdered and one surviving tribute.

Secondly, I don't understand why they are awestruck by the ridiculous outfits that most of us are wearing. All of us look like fools.

The chariots stop in front of a building and form a circle, with District 12 behind our chariot. President Snow, wearing his signature white rose on his black suit, appears behind the podium, waving his hands to quiet the crowds before speaking to us tributes.

The sickening thing about this is he acts like we are expectant guests.

After his little speech, the District 1 chariot starts rolling through the square to travel to the training center.

When Shiner and I leave the chariots, I want to call it a night but there is dinner to think about. Shiner and I ride the elevator up to District 1's floor and I am relieved for the chance to remove this wretched costume.

Once in my room, I unpin the crown, remove the heavy cape, and kick off the shoes before going into my bathroom to take a nice hot shower.

All floors above the lobby of the Training Center are now filled with the allotted tributes, mentors, and escorts, with District 12 residing in the penthouse. It's like the poorer your district is, the better the view of the Capitol at night.

How sickening.

I slip into my pajamas from last night before going into the dining room for dinner.

Cornelia and Shiner's stylist, who I learned is named Laelia, joined us for dinner. Helena complements Cornelia and Laelia on the outfits they designed for the Opening Ceremony. She thought that Shiner and I looked magnificent.

More like circus clowns without the makeup.

Dinner passes quickly before dessert starts, though Elegance told us to refrain from a second serving.

"District 1 tributes gain muscle, not fat," said Elegance, but you need to gain some weight for the muscle.

I take small slice of chocolate cake and have pomegranate-grape juice to wash it down with.

Shiner, however, didn't stay for dessert, as he says it would ruin his training diet and went to bed. Good thing, because I can't stand to see his arrogant face.

* * *

**Thoughts so far?**


	5. Day One of Training

**Enjoy!**

* * *

I wake up the next morning to see that my outfit has been laid out for me: a black, red, and white, shirt with my district number on the upper back and sleeves, and black slacks with a thick white line on the outside part of each leg; typical training outfit for the tributes.

After changing into the training outfit, I style my hair in a ponytail with fishtail braids. Glimmer taught me how to put fishtail braids in my hair when I was twelve. She could become hair stylist in if she doesn't volunteer.

I subsequently put on black socks and a pair of leather shoes before heading to the dining room for a spot of breakfast.

"Morning, princess," dad greeted me as I entered the dining room. "How did you sleep?"

"I slept like a baby," I said as I took a seat next to him.

"Good, because you going to need it for today," said dad.

He and Elegance get the ball rolling and begin discussing our training tactics.

"Now, you are going to train and have lunch with the other tributes," said dad. "My advice is not to underestimate the tributes from Districts 2 and 4 and those from the outlying districts. They may look like easy pickings but they can have the potential to kill. Johanna Mason from District 7 won by pretending to be a weakling and Beetee Latier from District 3 used electrocution as a method."

I'm not surprised if Shiner doesn't listen to what dad is saying, as he is so arrogant.

"It is also best to see what the other tributes skills are," said Elegance, "that way it would be simple to know if they are a threat or not."

At twenty to ten, after eating a breakfast composed of waffles and bacon, I enter the elevator with Shiner. The training rooms are below ground level and it only takes a second for us to enter a enormous gymnasium filled with weapons and obstacle courses.

Someone takes a picture as well as some minutes of video of us individually before allowing us to go further in the room.

When Shiner and I first arrived, there were only the tributes from Districts 2 and 6, but gradually, the rest of the tributes arrive. When we are all here, a tall, athletic woman named Atala gives us our training schedule and the rules. As she speaks, I survey the other tributes around me, seeing that half of them are bigger than me though they have never been fed properly.

Atala releases us and I see the tributes from Districts 2 and 4 hurry towards the deadliest weapons. For the first time, I notice a balcony holding the Gamemakers, who are watching us with interest, though I think Seneca Crane is probably eyeing the children or relatives of victors with avid interest.

Unsurprisingly, Shiner heads to the swords, and I decide to chuck some spears; not to show off like my district partner and the Career Tributes from Districts 2 and 4, but to mainly evaluate my skills. I pick up a spear, stand at the forty meter marker and throw it straight on target.

If Onyx volunteered, spears would have been his weapon of choice.

I steal glances around the room and see that while most of the tributes are shakily having their first lessons with either a knife or ax, the tributes from Districts 2 and 4 (also counting Shiner from my district) are handling weapons with ease: Shiner is using two swords to mutilate dummies with superior precision; Severina is handling a throwing ax in a way that would make Johanna Mason from District 7 proud; Lucius is swinging a spiked mace with great agility; Frennic is throwing knives on target, never missing; Tanya is wielding a trident with perfect ease.

Show-offs, trying to intimidate the weak tributes and rule the field while others are just barely learning how properly wield weapons.

I finish with the spear station and make my way for the dart guns. On my way, I see the boy from District 10 drop a medicine ball, nearly hitting his foot. Both Severina and Lucius start laughing at the poor boy's misfortune.

I mentally shake my head as I pick up the dart gun at the dart shooting station. I riddle the first target with darts and the second target appears before me.

As I'm about to shoot the second dummy with darts, I feel like spiders are crawling all over my back, and I turn around. Sure enough, Shiner is standing behind me.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" I icily ask him.

"Just came to admire your dart shooting skills," he says.

I want to slug him in the face, but tributes are not allowed to brawl with each other before the Games. Instead, I fix him a dark scowl before setting down my dart gun and walking away.

Fortunately, lunch arrives, and I stand in line with the other tributes, putting food on trays. I settle for a cheeseburger, mash potatoes, and a peach before picking up bottled lemonade.

The other tributes are sitting alone with their district parents, though I see the District 4 tributes seating themselves with the twins from District 2, shaking hands and introducing themselves.

I reluctantly follow Shiner to their table, as he is going to sit with them.

"Hello, guys," greeted Shiner as we sat down our trays before sitting down. "I'm Shiner and this is Amethyst, my district partner."

Yeah, like I can't introduce myself.

The other Career Tributes introduce themselves, though I already know their names. I'm sure they know my name, considering that my father is a victor, as Enobaria, Mags, and Finnick know him.

"Look at our competition," said Frennic, taking out the fish-shaped bread tinted green with seaweed. "It's going to be easy this year."

Dad told me never to underestimate your competition in the arena, as those who look like easy pickings could have the wicked ability to murder.

"Is your bread good?" asked Tanya, holding twisted bread with garlic seasoning on it. Apparently, the basket on the table has the bread from all the districts. I recognize our bread, which is a long twisted loaf with garlic seasoning in it. District 2 has a dark and long rectangular wholemeal roll, District 3 has bite-sized, square shaped rolls, and District 12 has drop biscuits.

I nod and she places it on her tray.

"The boy from District 12 looks like an easy pick," said Shiner smugly. "It won't take long to impale him."

Shiner is willing to kill a defenseless twelve year-old boy? What an arrogant son of a bitch.

"Who is mentoring you guys?" I asked, trying to drag the topic away from murder.

"My grandmother and his cousin," said Tanya, gesturing to Frennic at the last part of the sentence.

"Isn't your grandmother too old for mentoring?" Shiner asks.

"Are you half blind, Shiner?" asks Tanya cattily. "Mentors are supposed to be older than tributes. She mentored Finnick. Just because she is seventy-eight, that does mean she has lost her touch."

"Well, just saying," said Shiner.

"Who is mentoring you?" Severina asked Shiner and I.

"My dad and Elegance Potter," I said. "He didn't want me and two of my older siblings to volunteer this year."

"That's strange," said Severina. "Usually victors from Districts 1, 2, and 4 want their children to volunteer. Auntie Enobaria wanted Lucius and me to volunteer this year, as we are eighteen. Clove wants to volunteer next year and she's only fourteen."

"She's a tiny one, but I wouldn't want to be at the receiving end of her knife throws if she was in the arena," said Lucius, as if it amused him.

Since this Clove is fourteen, said to be much trained in throwing knives, and wants to volunteer next year, gives me the impression that she could be mentally unbalanced.

"Is your aunt mentoring you?" Tanya asked Severina.

"Yep. She and Marcus," said Severina. "Marcus is in his mid-thirties, around my aunt's age. He has been chasing her after she won her Hunger Games, but she prefers Brutus."

Somehow, that doesn't surprise me, as they were both brutal in their respective Hunger Games, with Enobaria ripping out a throat with her teeth and Brutus impaling three tributes with one spear…

Finnick. What were he and dad talking about last night before the Opening Ceremonies? Why did Finnick gesture me last night?

After eating a filling lunch, all twenty-four of us returned to the gym, where I started on the edible berries and plants test. I breeze through it, matching the pictures together, and determining which is safe to digest in the arena.

I then wait in line for the gauntlet, which is one of the obstacle courses in the room. Technically, you have to dodge items as they are being batted at you. When it is my turn, I manage to dodge the projectiles thrown at me, only to stumble and fall on the floor on my behind at the end of the gauntlet.

Shiner laughs, which I want to slug him in the face for, though I look up to see some of the Gamemakers looking amused by my moment of humiliation. I see Crane say something to another Gamemaker. I can't hear it, but somehow, the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and my skin starts to crawl.

I stand up and head over to the archery station, trying to shake off my current emotions.

_You are just paranoid, Amethyst_, I try to tell myself. _The Gamemakers were probably remarking about your moment of clumsiness_.

Still, I cannot shake away that heavy feeling of uneasiness.

* * *

"How was your first day of training?" dad asked Shiner and I during dinner.

"Good, practiced with the weapons I know how to handle," I replied as I cut up my steak.

I think dad senses that something is bothering me, though he listens to Shiner's smug take on the day.

Helena is showing Elegance the new necklace she brought for herself, remarking how District 1 is the best out of all the other districts.

"District 1 does produce the best diamonds and emeralds," said Helena. "It is a shame why the other districts are not as good."

District 3 creates electronics and District 5 produces power. The thing is, shouldn't the Capitol allow us to use the goods we create?

Oh, that's right. The purpose is so the twelve districts can work so that the citizens of the Capitol can live decadent and lazy lives.

I want to ask dad about what he was talking about with Finnick Odair, but I can't with both Helena and Elegance listening.

Probably some other time, but maybe that time might not come, as I could die in the arena. Most likely my chances for survival are skewed.


	6. The Training Scores

**You will learn a little more about District 1 in this chapter, or rather, my worldbuilding of it. More information will come later on. **

**Read on.**

* * *

"Shiner, will you please move away?" I ask him icily. "I can't concentrate with you behind me."

Today was the second day of training and tomorrow after lunch is our private training sessions with the Gamemakers. As you can see, Shiner is standing behind me before I attempt to shoot darts at the target.

"It doesn't hurt if I watch," he says with his usual smirk.

"Listen, Shiner," I say exasperatingly, "go and wield maces with Lucius. Just don't stand behind me."

"Fine," he mutters before walking off, muttering something about girls from District 1. At least he is not right behind me, that way I can concentrate.

I look into the eyepiece on the dart gun before pulling the trigger. The darts hit the center target and other places that would be considered vital areas, like the stomach, femoral artery, and throat. Three years ago, someone told me I could get "Satisfactory" results by shooting at the nerve sensitive areas, making it very painful to have darts in your body.

Trust me, I'm not a sadistic person. I hate to admit it, but I would rather give someone a quick painless death rather than a slow painful death.

I left the dart gun station to join Severina at the throwing ax station. Apparently, she had been wielding axes since she was eight years old. Like yesterday, she has proven to be capable of throwing the ax into the chest area, the abdomen, and the head, making her a lethal opponent.

She seems very impressed when I show her my skills of throwing a ax, even more so when I told her that I can various weapons.

"I can pretty much shoot a arrow, and throw a spear," I state truthfully.

"Have you gone to the Career Academy in your district?" she asks.

"My sister Glimmer and my brother Onyx attend the Academy back home every day after school," I said. "I would go to the gym every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday."

"In the Academy back in my district, we are taught to be very versatile with weapons, as we might not have access to our weapon of skill and choice in the Cornucopia," said Severina. "Demetri O'Connor from our district won in the year when the horn only had spiked maces, and he was said to be skilled with maces, swords, and spears. He also knew how to snap necks, which is something they teach us in District 2."

Oh yes. Demetri O'Connor from District 2. He won when he was only sixteen, but looked to be eighteen. He killed ten of the twenty-four tributes in his Games, mainly by shattering their bodies with his mace or twisting people's necks. He killed his district partner by snapping her neck when they were both left standing.

District 2 tributes are often more brutish and volatile then Careers from Districts 1 and 4, basically because they train for most of their childhood and work with stone making since they were young. They are known to be very strong too, hence the reason why District 2 tributes can snap necks. Another reason for their brutality is that they train and supply the Peacekeepers.

I soon join Tanya, where she is making fishhooks. Being from District 4, it wouldn't be surprising as she probably spent most of her life swimming and catching fish and lobsters with nets. Every district is different when it comes to having children work the specific industry. In District 1, kids as old as fifteen begin working in the sweatshop to refine gems and metals.

As a government mandate, our school gives us field trips to the gem and metal refinery. It is rather humid in the room where all the main work is taking place, with no air conditioning in the summer. In the sorting room, women work to sort certain gems and metals apart from each other before the gems and metals are put in crates and loaded on to trucks before being sent to the Capitol. The only people working in the sweatshop are citizens from the Dents while the merchants and hairstylists come from fairly wealthy families.

The average salary for working in the sweatshop is one denarius an hour while hairstylists get twenty denarii an hour. I don't know how it is with District 8 and District 12, probably lower because District 8 is textiles while District 12 is coal mining.

During conversation, I learn that Mags actually taught Tanya how to make fishhooks out of anything and to weave baskets tightly so that water wouldn't leak through them. It was interesting to see Tanya make a fishing line by using her _hair_. I wonder if Mags taught her to use grass as well.

"Hanging out with 2 and 4 today?" Shiner asks me during dinner.

"Shut up, you hypocrite," I said. "You are going to join an alliance with them anyway in the arena."

Joining the Career pack is not what I want to do, since they usually turn on each other, but it depends on the arena. It better not be a desert or frozen tundra this year. Hopefully Seneca Crane might be merciful and give us a woods with various terrain, but seeing that the tributes went crazy from dehydration last year, he might not be.

"Of course, as they need a leader," said Shiner arrogantly. Hopefully someone shoots a arrow into his neck during the bloodbath, that way I wouldn't have to endure him in the arena.

The next day, they call us for our private training sessions after lunch. They start with District 1, boy tribute before girl tribute. According to dad, the Gamemakers eat and drink while proceeding over the training sessions. That is a bad thing because by the time the girl from District 12 does her private training session, the Gamemakers will have drank too much wine and would want to go home.

Shiner leaves when he is called, leaving me with the other twenty-two tributes in the lunchroom. One could easily taste the tension in the room, as most of the tributes are nervous.

Fifteen minutes later, my name is called and I leave the lunchroom into the gym. Currently, the Gamemakers are drinking wine and are in the middle of dining on a roasted pig with an apple in its mouth.

I first display my dart shooting skills before heading over to the archery station, displaying my moderate archery skills. I pretend that the Gamemakers are not even there, as I could concentrate better.

Ten minutes in, when I am displaying my skill with a sword, I am released. I put down the sword I am training with and stride towards the elevator to head to the District 1 floor.

Joining us for dinner and to watch the training scores with us are Cornelia and Laelia, our stylists. This should make things interesting.

Scores range from one to twelve, with twelve being the best. Johanna Mason received a one but that was part of her act of being a sniveling coward. As usual, they start off with the District 1 tributes. Shiner pulled out a nine score. I am disgusted to see him raising his fist in triumph.

"Amethyst Walkrose," reads Caesar Flickerman as a moving image of me appears on his right, "has received a score of nine."

My dad pats me on the back while Shiner tries to give me a high five. I refuse the offer.

Both Lucius and Severina scored a ten, and Tanya received a eight while Frennic received a nine. The other tributes averaged about a five though the two District 12 tributes received low scores: Rosemary receiving a four while twelve-year old Caledon receives a three.

The Games are in three days, with the interview prep being tomorrow.

Someone help me.

* * *

**Just a heads up: the _denarius_****is the currency I chose for Panem. It was a currency for Rome during the Second Punic War. Given the Greaco-Roman themes of the trilogy, I think it fits, as I just can't see the U.S. Dollar living after and before the Dark Days of Panem.**


	7. Suffocated Feeling

**More worldbuilding in this chapter, this time involving District 12 and Katniss Everdeen.**

**Read on.**

* * *

"Now, you need to make the audience love you," said Helena as we sat in my room, going over my presentation for the interview tomorrow. I was wearing a long gown and high heels to practice in.

First, I practice walking to the chair sitting in my room. Glimmer owns high heels, as does mom and Cashmere. When I was six, I had a habit of going into Cashmere's closet and walking around in her high heels. Mom would think it was cute while Cashmere would throw a fit. I don't particularly fancy high heels, though I have low heels in my closet back in District 1.

After practicing my walk to the chair (settling on walking while holding my skirt with my hands), I have a seat in the chair. Helena suggests that I cross my legs and have my hands sit on my lap. She also has me say banal phrases starting and ending with a smile. I want to throw a chair at her for this but I don't want to make things difficult, so I do as she instructs.

"The audience is going to love you," says Helena beaming.

After four strenuous hours of practicing my presentation for the audience, I change out of the gown I practiced in. When lunch was over and complete, I sit with dad and Elegance in the sitting room, with them sitting across from me.

"What are you most like?" asked Elegance.

"Dad here says I am smart," I say.

"That's one quality," said dad. "Are you going to present yourself as likeable? Charming? Eccentric? Mysterious?"

"I'm leaning towards being witty," I said.

"Witty," says dad, looking impressed. "That's a very good angle."

"How about playing up your looks?" asked Elegance. "You'll be getting more sponsors that way."

"No thank you. Being sexy is not my thing," I said. "I'm not even that attractive for that angle. I prefer coming across as witty."

I don't want to present myself as sexy to the masses. That would be the same as selling myself for sex. Why would anyone want to use sex appeal to gain sponsors? It sounds squicky to me.

Both father and Elegance ask me questions in preparation for using my witty angle. I answer questions properly and when it comes to the tough questions, I make witty remarks, trying to ease the tension building up in me.

"Seeing the training scores, were you intimidated?" dad asks.

I give my smile and say, "Even with high scores of the others, the odds are roughly the same."

"You should be able to win over the crowd," said Elegance. "The audience loves it when the tributes use humor."

Yeah, better than using sex appeal.

The next morning, we head to the Amphitheater (which is what the Capitol calls the theater here in the Capitol) where we meet our prep teams. I am in one of the back rooms as my prep team prepares me for the interview. They work on me until late afternoon, transforming my skin into glowing satin, painting my fingernails with glossy, red nail polish. Glaucia soon begins to work on my hair, curling it and putting emerald pins into my hair. Beatrice paints my lips with shiny red lipstick and put lavender eye shadow on my eyelids.

Cornelia then enters with what I assume is my dress, and when she uncovers it, my heart sinks a little bit: an emerald green dress that falls just above the knees, the torso covered in diamonds and emeralds. What is it with stylists sexualizing the girls from my district? Is it because of our blonde hair and well-fed bodies?

I don't fight as they put the dress on me and put green platform shoes on me. The dress is hugging my torso, much to my discomfort. The platform shoes make me taller then I want to be. I could see Glimmer wearing this, but not me.

I don't want to be sexy. This could very well ruin the angle I was going for.

"The audience will love you," said Cornelia, clapping her hands together.

I don't want them to love _this_ though.

It isn't long before I am escorted into the left- hand hallway behind the stage. I notice that Shiner is wearing a golden, satin suit, his usual carefree side bangs slicked-back with hair gel. I am the first in line, as they first start with District 1, girl tribute before the boy tribute. I'm glad I'm first, as I can get this out of the way and over with.

A white-haired man in a black suit descends the steps, and escorts me up the steps and I wait concealed behind one of the panels.

"From District 1, I'm sure you will recognize her last name," I hear Caesar Flickerman say to the audience, "let's give a warm round of applause for Amethyst Walkrose!"

I walk onto the stage with those ridiculous platform shoes. For a moment, the overenthusiastic applause of the audience clouds my hearing as I approach one of the white oval chairs.

Luckily my hearing clears as I sit on the chair. I cross my legs and place my hands on my lap.

"Amethyst, how prepared are you?" is the first thing Caesar Flickerman asks me.

"Appropriately," I say, smiling. "I don't want to be over confident and lose myself in the Cornucopia."

The audience laughs in amusement.

"I like that, very modest and humble," said Caesar. "Are the children of victors supposed to be very self-confident?"

"I'm one of six children," I answer. "It would hard to be overconfident with two older siblings and three younger siblings."

"Glad to hear that," he said, as soft laughter rolls through the audience. "No sibling rivalries then?"

"No, or else there would be ugly fights," I say, smiling. The audience laughs once more.

"During the reaping, you and four other tributes related to victors volunteered for this year," said Caesar. "What do you think the odds are?"

"Well, technically speaking, the odds are the same, considering that this is the first time we will be in arena," I say. The audience laughs and applauds.

"Hopefully, we see you in two weeks wearing the Victor's Crown," he says to me before saying to the crowd, "big round of applause!"

I stand up with him and he raises my hand before saying, "Amethyst Walkrose!"

He lets go of my hand and I wave to the audience as I leave into the right-hand side of the stage, and my mentors and escort are already waiting for me.

"Good job, sweetheart," said dad, enfolding me in his arms. "You did great."

I just smile and nod as I separate from him. Tomorrow morning is going to be the hard part.

We look to the screen to see Shiner already seated next to Caesar Flickerman, his legs crossed and his fingers weaved together.

"What are your chances of winning?" asks Caesar.

"I'm pretty confident, as most of the tributes are pretty stupid," he says.

The crowd reacts positively and to my complete disgust, the crowd seems to love him. It looks like he was going for charming and unfortunately, it worked, as the audience reacted in impressed 'aaahs' and 'oooohs.'

When his three minutes are up, he swaggers to where I am standing and we leave with our mentors and escort to a waiting car outside to take us back to the Training Center.

Back in the District 1 apartment, we watch the recap of the interviews. Unfortunately, my smiles look like arrogant smirks, though I succeeded with the witty angle. Shiner was all out arrogant. Severina, who was wearing a silver velvet dress with pearls sewn into the bodice, was a ruthless killing machine, as was her brother. Tanya was modest and witty as well, and Frennic was a flirt. The crippled girl from District 9 was quiet and reserved. Rosemary from District 12 wasn't lucky to have a likeable angle, though twelve-year old Caledon managed to gain some sympathy when asked about home. He wishes he could win so that one of his cousins (who he calls Katniss) would be proud of him.

Unfortunately, given his age, the odds are not in his favor. The odds are in no one's favor.

Dad gives Shiner and me advice before bed.

"Remember, get what you want in the Cornucopia and if someone comes at you, attack them first. Make an alliance with the tributes from Districts 2 and 4 and make sure that they don't turn on you."

I try to fall asleep, but my mind is heavy with worry. What will the arena be? A frozen wasteland? A scorching desert? What traps will the Gamemakers set to add excitement in these sick Games? Tomorrow, I will have to wake up before dawn and prepare for the Games until it starts at ten.

No matter how hard I try to doze off, I just can't fall asleep. I decide to give up my fruitless attempts of sleep and rise from my bed. Maybe I can get something cold to drink and it might help me sleep.

I approach the menu in my room and request lemonade. It appears in a tall glass. Nice and cold, just how I want it.

I sip on the sour drink as I walk out of my room into the living area.

"Is someone having trouble sleeping?" someone asks. I look to see dad sitting on one of the couches reading a book.

"I am trying to sleep but I am having no luck," I say, sitting down next to him.

"Are you nervous? Is that why you can't sleep?" Dad asks concerned.

I can't say that I hate these Games, not if the room's bugged with cameras. Instead, I say, "I feel like I am being suffocated. I just hope that I get home after this. It is going to scar my siblings if they see me die."

Dad hugs me and I feel sobs start to shake my body.

"Everything's going to be alright, Amethyst," said dad, rubbing his hand against my back.

"I should have just listened to you and not volunteered," I say, still crying.

"Amethyst," says dad, separating our hug and looking at me straight in the eye, looking serious, and continued to say, "I'm glad that you volunteered for that girl. You saved a disabled child from entering an unfair fight. The boy I volunteered for had a crooked back, and when he was called, I felt like I should be in his place. He wouldn't have lasted long in the arena."

"You think I was right to volunteer for Silk?" I say.

"Yes, It's a honorable thing to volunteer for someone who wouldn't have a chance in the arena," he says.

I'm glad he understands why I volunteered. I volunteered to save a crippled girl from going into the arena, not for the glory of winning.

"Do you think I might win this?" I ask.

"You're intelligent enough," said dad. "I have confidence in you."

Somewhere in his tone is heavy concern. I have a feeling that he might not get too much sleep during the Games. He will be up almost every night, keeping tabs on my survival.

"You better get some sleep, princess," said dad. "You might be up all tomorrow night."

I finish my lemonade before heading back to my room, where I finally fall asleep.

Before dawn, Elegance comes to get me, gives me underwear, olive colored cargo pants, boots, and a avocado green shirt before taking me to the sitting room, where they take my picture and moving footage of me in a avocado green jacket. I am told that the rest of my garb is in the launch room. I take off the jacket before I head to the elevator with Elegance.

We ride down the elevator before it opens leading to a landing pad holding a hovercraft.

"Good luck," said Elegance.

"Thank you," I said, before heading towards the waiting hovercraft.

Apparently, all twenty-four of us are riding together. Technically this makes it awkward because we will be killing each other in a few hours. I am strapped in a seat, seated between the girl from District 8 and the boy from District 3 as a woman in a long white coat injects trackers into our arms. That way the Gamemakers will know where we are at.

A half an hour later, the windows black out and the hovercraft lights up, suggesting that we are nearing the arena. The hovercraft descends and one by one, we climb down a ladder that leads to a tube underground, into the catacombs that lie beneath the arena.

Two Peacekeepers escort me down a dimly lit hallway and approach a door marked _District 1 female_. One of the Peacekeepers opens the door and I see Cornelia in there waiting for me.

She hands me the hooded avocado green nylon jacket that I was made to pose with earlier. It had silver stripes running down the back, front, and arms. The outfits had been the same for almost every Hunger Games, but it depends on the arena. These were the outfits that they wore last year.

I zip up the inner layer of the jacket and I notice that Cornelia inserted by amethyst broach. After I zip up the outer layer, I hear a automatic voice saying, "Thirty seconds."

"Good luck," said Cornelia.

"Thank you," I say weakly before I walk with stiff legs to the tube which will lead me up the arena. Once inside, the door closes, trapping me to my impending death.

Moments later the plate beneath me rises up, pushing me out of the cylinder, into the open air. I am blinded for a moment by the bright light and I feel hot air hitting my face.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the Seventy-third Hunger Games begin!" announces Claudius Templesmith.

* * *

**Let the Games begin!**


	8. Alone

**Read on!**

* * *

We are required to stand on our plates for sixty seconds and if we step off too early, we'll be blown sky high.

After a few seconds, the sunlight no longer blinds my eyes and I notice that we are standing in a clearing around what looks like a tropical rainforest. This is a lowland equatorial evergreen rain forest to be exact. At least it is not snow but it will be rather humid.

Lovely, just what I needed.

In front of us, is the golden horn which is the Cornucopia, with a curved tail and the mouth is twenty feet high. It has items strewn around it and items packed inside it, decreasing by value the farther they are from the Cornucopia. Right in the mouth, I see a dart gun pack sitting on top of a crate.

I look around to see the other tributes standing on their plates. Severina and Lucius, who are in the rusty red jackets and shirts that represent District 2, look at the Cornucopia with undeniable eagerness. The same could be said for Shiner, who was five plates away from me.

There is a ticker visible in the top of the mouth of the Cornucopia, counting down the seconds.

Twenty seconds, I am in a running position like some of the other tributes.

Ten seconds, my heart is pumping blood fast and my stomach turns into a knot.

When the gong goes off, I am one of the first to run from my plate. It becomes mayhem in just a few seconds, with my fellow tributes fighting over the goods. I run towards the mouth, dodging tributes as they fight over the good stuff. I grab the dart gun pack; grab a large dark green backpack by random, grab a spear, and the only set of bow and arrows.

When I'm about to leave the mouth, the boy from District 5 tries to wield a machete at me. His aim is poor and I quickly dodge the move before stabbing him with my spear. I run from the Cornucopia after pulling it out of him and, deliberately disregarding what my father advised me last night, I run straight into the trees.

I hear Shiner calling after me, but I just keep on running, as far as my feet can take me. I could imagine that my father is shaking his head at my choice. I don't want to risk joining the Career pack and I don't want to make myself dependent on the food and supplies in the Cornucopia.

The canopy of trees guards me from the sunlight as I keep running. I'm sure I'm on television now, on and off but not consistently. There are so many deaths on the first day and it is the day where the betting is heavy. When the field is limited to a handful of players, the betting gets heavier like it would be today.

It is late afternoon when I hear the first cannon. I stop as I silently count them. Two, three, four…ten cannons. Ten kids gone. Fourteen left to play. I continue walking, taking deep breaths. After ten minutes of walking, I stop at the fallen trunk of a tree. I sit down and lay my backpack next to me before unzipping it. I have a first-aid kit, a titanium water bottle, a bottle of iodine, a bungee cord, a sleeping bag, night vision glasses, dried beef strips, crackers, a flashlight, a box of wooden matches, a small coil of wire, and a rolled up tent.

I place the items back in my backpack before analyzing my dart gun kit. Along with the dart gun it has five cases of darts; one case containing forty darts. That is 200 darts, enough to last for over two weeks. Also in the dart gun pack, there is a medium sized titanium sphere that has a label saying _**Caution: Poison – instructions for applying them to the darts on the back**_.

Poison for darts. Maybe they discovered that people would use poison for darts after the 50th Hunger Games, where one of the deceased tributes from District 12 used poison from the resources of the arena to dip her darts in for her blow gun.

I need to keep on moving, and I need to stay one step ahead of the others. I place the dart gun and its contents back into the pack it came in before taking my items and continue walking.

I see another stream nearby. With caution I proceed towards it and fill the bottle with water. It is only safe to drink after I place the iodine capsules in it.

I could feel the humidity of the rainforest as I walk, the sweat sticking my hair to my face and neck. I stop for a minute to take the jacket off. I stuff it in my backpack before I keep on moving.

By this time I could feel the onset of hunger settling in. My stomach is not used to being empty, but what is the point of the Hunger Games if you are near the Cornucopia, where food and survival supplies are abundant? I'm sure Shiner and the Career Tributes from 2 and 4 are probably near the Cornucopia, splitting up the food and other goodies, and hoarding it so that the other tributes wouldn't "steal" from them.

Earlier I stuffed the dried beef and the crackers – the only food that I have – in one of the pockets in my cargo pants. I take the pack of dried beef and take a bite out of one of the strips as I keep on walking.

With nightfall approaching, I need to find somewhere to sleep, somewhere safe and high up where no one can find me. Tributes from my district have a hard time climbing trees because since we have enough to eat, our weight makes it difficult to successfully climb a tree without any trouble compared to a skinny person who had nothing to eat in their district.

When I do find a tree, I use the bungee cord to help me to climb on to one of the branches. Once I climb to a suitable branch, I use my bungee cord to secure myself to the tree, and I rest my head against the tree trunk.

I'm sure my family is gathered around the television, looking intently at the screen while my dad is in the mentors' lounge at Headquarters. I'm sure he will stay up most of the night, watching me fight for my life.

When I was a toddler, I didn't understand the concept of the Games, though it left me with nightmares. When I was eleven years old, I read a book on the Dark Days from the library, and I gathered that the Hunger Games was a cruel form of punishment for the twelve surviving districts, with a Quarter Quell every twenty-five years, with the Quells having a particularly cruel twist as a way to punish the districts even further. For the 25th Hunger Games, the citizens had to vote on who should represent their district. They picked grandma Opal because she was a pariah; red hair is unusual in District 1, as most of us are blonde with the impoverished being brunettes. She was twelve and she won by chance, as the other two remaining tributes, the boy from District 3 and the girl from District 4 killed each other simultaneously, making her victor. She was the only twelve year-old ever to win a Hunger Games. She and grandpa Topaz died from a gas pipeline explosion three months after dad won his Hunger Games. The Capitol calls it a freak accident though dad says that it was staged because he refused to let President Snow sell his body to wealthy Capitol women.

President Snow, in my opinion, should have an arrow shot through his eye.

I begin to doze off as night falls.

* * *

I am awoken from my slumber when I hear the anthem of Panem. I look up just in time to see the Capitol seal with the words _The Fallen _underneath it before I see the picture of the boy from District 3. The boy from 5, the girl from 6, the girl from 7, the pair from 8, the boy from 9, which means that his district partner made it out okay. The pair from 10, and it ends with the boy from 11 before the anthem ends and his picture fades from the sky.

When I fall asleep, I feel the first trickle of rain, causing me to wake right up to retrieve my sleeping bag so I could shield myself with it.

Three hours later, the sound of the cannon wakes me up and I look up at the sky to see that it was the girl from District 12.

Thirteen tributes left.

Hopefully, I might survive tomorrow.


	9. Death At Every Corner

I wake up to hear a distinctive beeping noise. I look up to see a silver parachute, not far from my reach. It doesn't take long for me to retrieve the titanium basket, which the parachute is attached to. I press the button and it opens, revealing what looks like a meal, consisting of lamb stew and cheese rolls.

I sighed heavily. I don't blame my father for worrying about whether I have enough to eat, but I want to know what it's like for those in the districts in which they go to bed hungry.

However, I don't want food to go to waste. I eat the lamb stew though I put the cheese buns in my backpack. I want this meal to last. I untie the bungee cord, grab my backpack and sleeping bag, jump off the tree, and put my jacket back on before I set out.

Purposely, I'm trying to avoid a confrontation, though the Gamemakers might do something to chase me towards the other tributes to start a confrontation so the audience in the Capitol can stay satisfied. I can imagine one of the Gamemakers telling Seneca Crane, "The District 1 female is two kilometers away from the nearest tribute," and he might order a Mutt attack or chase me towards other tributes. Seneca's father used fire to herd the tributes together; he did that all the time. If there are trees in the arena, he would use fire to chase one tribute towards another tribute, mainly the Career pack. I'm not surprised if Seneca follows that too.

I'm sure the Career pack is probably scouring the arena for victims. I'm positive that one of them killed the girl from District 12.

I have water with me, which is good, though I would perspire in this heat. Why did the Gamemakers decide on a tropical rainforest? I think I would rather be in a frozen wilderness then the tropical rainforest.

For most of the day I keep on walking. A warm drizzle falls occasionally, though it is not too bad to keep me from stopping. I ate on one of the cheese rolls, just to keep my stomach satisfied.

I envy the others in my district, who are currently in their cool homes as they watch these sick games take place. The children in the poor districts are probably hoping that this would be their year for the tribute in their district to win, as the Capitol would be showering gifts on their district, like sugar.

Unfortunately, dad told me that the Capitol doesn't like it if a underdog wins, as the citizens would be looking up to the victor who came from a outlying district. President Snow prefers the victors from districts like mine: strong, healthy, and well-fed victors, victors who trained for the Games since they were young children, victors who won't lose themselves to morphling and alcohol addiction. Victors who would further his propaganda.

"If there is one thing that Snow fears, it's a rebellion," said dad. "I personal guess is that he has the Games rigged so that no one from the poor districts would win."

The last rebellion was seventy-three years ago before the Games started. There is talk about a second rebellion probably smoldering. It might just take one person to start a spark, which might start it head on. The impoverished in my district are not happy with the things are going. I could tell by their expressions during the reaping and when the kids, who reside in the Dents, leave school to work in the gem and metal refinery plant. However, the only thing that is preventing the poor from rebelling in my district is that our Head Peacekeeper, Romulus Thread, would quickly stifle the riot as soon as it started by having the Peacekeepers fire at the citizens in my district.

There is a reason why crime (or what the Capitol calls it) seldom happens in District 1. The reason is because everyone, even the well-off and the "Victor Class" (which is what the people of the Dents call those who reside in the Victor's Village), are afraid of Thread. If someone is caught with a black market purchase or they steal, first offense is fifty lashes, and second offense is getting shot by a _firing squad_. Everyone in the district has curfew at ten thirty at night, and if you are caught outside of your house after that time, no matter how old you are, or status, you will be shot on sight without hesitation (however, the only exception to this are the victors in my district, as Thread doesn't want to anger the president by killing one of them).

Thread pays a blind eye to the well-fed and privileged children training for the Games. That is because the president allows children from Districts 1, 2, and 4 to train for the Games.

During the Victory Tours and the reaping, the stockade, gallows, and whipping post are removed from the square in front of the Justice Building. That way the other districts don't know how things really are in District 1.

My thoughts are interrupted when I hear someone approaching nearby. Since I haven't dipped the darts in the poison provided, I grab a arrow from the quiver and I pull back the string of the bow, ready to let the arrow fly in case the other tribute is armed, ready to kill me.

Emerging from the trees is the boy from District 7. He is twice my size, eighteen years-old, and he has that deadly gleam in his eyes. To make matters worse, he is carrying a knife with a jagged edge.

He slowly advances forward and I back away slowly; I still have my arrow pointed at him. Sure enough, he starts coming at me, waving the knife. On impulse I let the arrow fly out of the bow-string and it pierces his eye. He falls down convulsing as I whip out another arrow from the quiver and shoot it into his chest.

I fast walk away from the scene, breathing heavily as I hear the sound of the cannon. Twelve dead, two of them by my own hand, and twelve still left to play.

After twenty minutes of walking, I sit down and take the dart gun pack from my backpack. I read the instructions carefully before dipping the darts into the poison provided. The barrel holds up to forty darts, so I spend about a hour poisoning the forty darts of the two hundred that I have before loading them into the barrel. I put the barrel in place before strapping the holster around my torso.

I screw the lid of the sphere containing the poison until it is tightly shut before placing it and the cases of darts into my backpack. I then continue walking, the dart gun in the holster around my torso.

Dusk is starting to fall and all I have eaten was the lamb stew and one of the cheese rolls. I take a piece of dried beef and take a bite out of it as I look for a tree to sleep in.

I eventually find a tree and climb on it to one of the high branches. I get in my sleeping bag before tying myself to the branch for support.

At nightfall, they show the face of the boy from District 7. He was the only one they showed in the nighttime sky.

What will the Gamemakers do tomorrow to satisfy the audience? Unleash Mutts? Herd the tributes together by using fire? I hope that the citizens of the Capitol are not getting bored already. However, they do feature what they call _Hunger Games Rollback_, where they show highlights or a finale of a previous Hunger Game, just to satisfy the audience in the Capitol if blood is not shed at the moment.

I allow my eyes to flutter shut as I doze off.

My stomach is growling, begging for food. I only had lamb stew, a cheese roll, and one of my strips of dried beef. I wake up to eat a few crackers when I hear someone around the vicinity of the tree I am in.

I cautiously bend over to see the boy from District 6 (District 6 wears tomato red) tripping himself as he runs. He looks injured by the looks of it, as his cargo pants have a stain on one of the legs, specifically in the knee area. It's not long before I see Severina and Shiner emerging from the bushes, intent on killing him, their weapons ready.

"PLEASE! PLEASE! DON'T KILL ME!" he sobs. "I HAVE A STARVING FAMILY BACK HOME!"

"Too bad," I hear Severina tell him coldly. "You wouldn't be facing this if you didn't try to steal from our camp."

"I was hungry," he sobbed.

"You know what happens to thieves' right? Thieves who steal food from others?" asks Severina before telling Shiner, "Hold him down."

Shiner pauses before Severina yells, "Hold him down!"

Shiner gets down on his knees and restrains the boy. Shiner is not used to taking orders from someone else. Back at school in District 1, he was always the leader of his group of friends. He was the hotshot, tried to get with many of the girls in his grade, and bullied the children from the Dents and now Shiner was being ordered around by the girl from District 2.

I watched from my hiding place as Severina kneeled on the boy's knees, set down her ax, and drew a knife from what looks like a vest around her rusty red shirt. So, she is skilled with knives too? I only have seen her with the ax at the Training Center while we were in the Capitol getting prepped for these sick death games. Then again, she is from District 2, and there is a very high chance that she is skilled with various weapons.

Severina points the knife at the face of the boy from District 6 and I hear her say, "What about your face first?"

I turn away as the boy's agonizing screams of pain fill the night. I can hear him begging, begging for his life. I have a sick feeling that that moment is being shown to all of Panem right now. Most likely, everyone might be asleep as this is taking place and they might show it in the morning, like they usually do. I imagine horror on the faces of this boy's parents when they realize that their son was tortured before being killed while they were sleeping.

After an hour of hearing the boy's bloodcurdling screams, I hear Shiner say to Severina, "Let me finish him."

"You go ahead," I hear Severina say to Shiner in response. A minute later, I hear Shiner plunge his sword into the boy's body before his cannon sounds. I look up to see the face of the boy from District 6 in the nighttime sky.

"Let's go," I hear Shiner tell Severina and I look down as I see them leaving into the bushes in which they came from.

Thirteen kids have died and only eleven are remaining. I'm sure that some might be attacked by Mutts over the course of the next few days. The remaining tributes like me are probably trying to stay cool tonight, with the humidity and steam that exists in a tropical rain forest.

It's not long before I see the hovercraft scoop up the body of the boy from District 6 before leaving the arena with the recently deceased. A family in District 6 is going to have a coffin delivered to their doorstep in a few days.

I wonder about the parents who lost their kids in the bloodbath yesterday. I'm sure they can't bring themselves to watch the Games.

The horror that started just an hour ago took any appetite I had, so I just go back to sleep.

* * *

**I see that you noticed that I have Romulus Thread as the Head Peacekeeper in District 1. That is my interpretation of where he came from before being sent to District 12. I'm sure Katniss would have recognized him from her and Peeta's appearance in District 1 during their Victory Tour in **_**Catching Fire**_**, but since the wealthier districts have more brutal and fanatical Peacekeepers, personally, I think it makes sense. The way Thread carried himself and behaved, it gave me the impression that he was Head Peacekeeper in another district and because he paid a blind eye to the starving masses in District 12, gave me the impression that he probably was from a wealthier district. The Peacekeepers in District 11 paid a blind eye to the starving in District 11, but the way they acted was because District 11 was one of Panem's (or specifically, the Capitol's) main food source, with District 10 being livestock. In the book, Katniss asks herself where he came from, with District 11 as being speculated as one of the districts. Me, I think he came from District 1.**


	10. Close Calls

The third day was just as humid and steamy as it was the day before. I'm sweating as I'm walking through the terrain of the rainforest. My lips taste like salt as a result from the perspiration.

My stomach is aching with hunger. All I have with me are the two cheese buns, the dried beef, and the crackers. I try not to think about food, as it would make my current situation direr then it already is.

The Careers don't get hungry, as they are probably camped near the Cornucopia. I think about that boy who got killed last night because he "stole" food from the camp. They should have just allowed him to take what he was getting instead of killing him for it. That is very selfish on their part.

I walk through the tall grass of the rainforest, my throat and lips dry from dehydration. I reach for my water container and I take a sip from it. Due to the humidity, the water is warm.

I wonder what the Gamemakers have planned for today. Are they going to unleash Mutts on us? Use fire or other means to get the tributes together so we can fight and have more bloodshed in the arena?

While every child in the Capitol is enjoying seeing tributes slaughter each other, the children in the twelve districts watch with fear and apprehension as they watch their friends and classmates fight for their lives on television. Even in the classroom, the children who were spared the reaping are freed from the realities of the Games. We watch it during class time and worse, lunchtime. I remembered bringing back up my lunch when I witnessed the boy from District 2 hack off the head of the girl from District 8 four years ago.

I stop when I hear a group of tributes approaching. I quickly hide in a nearby bush, trying to conceal myself.

"Come on, there has to be a tribute somewhere," I hear Frennic say. The Careers.

"This arena is enormous," I hear Shiner say in response, "like they always are."

"Sevvie is not going to be pleased if we come back empty handed," says Lucius. "She wants to give the Capitol another show."

"Obviously," mutters Shiner. "Hopefully someone is hiding here, that way the Capitol can get their show."

My heart stops at that sentence. Shiner wouldn't have a second thought murdering his own district partner just so he could be crowned victor.

"What happens if we cross Amethyst?" I hear Lucius ask.

"I admit, she may be idiot of not joining us but she has guts," says Shiner. The guts for what? Possibly to demean ne, right. I am on the Career's kill list because I didn't join their pack of wolves like girls from my district usually do.

"You don't want us to kill her, right?" asks Frennic.

"No, someone like her has to last long," says Shiner. "Besides, she's not one of the weak tributes. She might last long until The Feast at least."

So, they are going to wait until they're six tributes left to kill me.

"Do you think someone is hiding here?" asks Frennic.

"Maybe," says Shiner, "first we need to look –"

He is interrupted by the sound of the cannon.

"Let's check it out," said Shiner, and I hear them leaving the area around my hiding place. I cautiously leave the bush, making sure that they were gone before continuing down my path. Somehow, I hope it distracts them long enough.

I could tell the time of day just by the position of the sun. It looks like midday, though the Gamemakers might change it to whatever suits them. It clouds up, suggesting that it might rain. From a distance I hear a crack of lighting followed by the sound of the cannon. That's baffling, as there is nothing to suggest a storm is coming; its cloudy yes, but the clouds are not dark enough for a storm. My confusion is furthered when the sun rays come back through the canopy.

Fifteen kids dead, and nine left standing. It won't be long before there are eight of us left. By then, the Capitol will host a special on the Final Eight, interviewing family members of the tributes. That is also the time when the betting starts up again. During the Games, the plaza in the Capitol shows who is remaining and the remaining tributes kills.

I only had two kills and I hope it stays this way, as I can't risk getting dehumanized again.

I have been walking for the first half of the day, and now it is probably two in the afternoon. My legs are tired, my stomach is aching with hunger, and I'm becoming dehydrated.

However, I get the nagging feeling that somebody is following me, stalking my every movement. I turn to see Frennic a few feet away, his knife in hand. Unlike the boy from District 7, this knife has a cruel, pointed, curved end. I back away slowly, because if I turn my back, he will go after me.

"Frennic! Shiner caught one!" I hear Lucius shout from a distance.

Frennic glances at me before turning his back and walking the other way. I sigh in relief, as I feared he might have killed me with that knife if he wasn't distracted.

That was a close call.

I continue walking and because of the aching hunger in my stomach and the heaviness of my legs, I decide to stop for a moment, and eat one of my cheese rolls.

By the type I take one from the front pocket of my backpack, I hear the sound of the cannon. Sixteen gone and eight kids left. Every parent of the remaining eight tributes are probably hoping that among the eight remaining, their child will be the one left standing. I bet my dad is thinking, _Yes, Amethyst, you made it this far. You can win this_.

Of course, I have made it this far. I'm not going to just make myself a easy target for the Careers. I just hope that I could win this thing, so that dad could sigh with relief that I am alive, but my life would not be the same afterwards.

When someone wins The Hunger Games, they are not considered a person with feelings. The victor is now considered the property of the Capitol. They are just a object to be fawned over, and if a victor, like Finnick Odair of District 4, is considered highly desirable, the victor is prostituted out to the Capitol elite.

When I have finished with one of my cheese rolls and with my legs rested, I decide to get a move on.

* * *

That night, they show the faces of the girl from District 3, the girl from District 9, and the boy from District 12. Three today, two yesterday, and eleven on the first day. Day 3 is about to come to an end and there are only eight of us left standing. In the Final Eight, they will start with District 1 before wrapping it up with the tribute from District 11. They always start with the lower number district during the Final Eight, usually Districts 1 or 2 because Career tributes stem from those districts.

I hear the familiar distinctive beeping noise of a silver parachute becoming louder, suggesting that it is near the tree I am sitting in. I know it's for me as it stops in the branch just above me.

I grab the titanium basket and press the button, this time, revealing the long, twisted loaf with garlic seasoning which is from District 1. The sponsors are either wealthy Capitol citizens or the citizens get together to send the tribute something in the arena. In my district, it might take just three to four citizens to pinch in to give the tribute something, as District 1 is the wealthiest district due to the type of industry we have, which is luxury.

I wrap the loaf up and put it in my backpack, intent on saving it for tomorrow. It's not long before I doze off.

* * *

On the morning of day four, I leave the tree that I slept in before go on my way.

Only eight left since last night, and this arena seems endless. Is it just me or does the Career pack seem hell-bent on finding tributes? Each Career pack is, though this group in particular seems very relentless.

Onyx will not be eligible for next year's reaping, as he is eighteen, which means he will not join the Career pack. Glimmer would, as she would be seventeen next year. I'm not surprised if Glimmer and her boyfriend Marvel both volunteer next year. However, a person's odds in these sick games depend on the competition.

If Glimmer volunteers next year or the year after that, the first thing she is going to grab at the Cornucopia will be the bow and arrows. She is talented with knives and a sword as well, though she prefers the bow and arrow.

Marvel would chuck spears, though however, he is not the sharpest tool in the shed. For all I know, he might accidentally get himself shot with an arrow, as he wouldn't be paying attention where Glimmer was shooting at.

Halfway through walking through the arena, I hear the sound of the cannon, causing me to stop. It is only a few seconds later before I hear the sound of another cannon, narrowing the numbers down to six.

Six tributes left standing. The betting will become heavier, as betters will be losing money to each other on who lives or not.

I decide to keep on walking. The humidity of this arena setting is causing the clothes to stick to my skin, my lips dry from not drinking enough water.

After an hour or so of walking through this vast arena, I feel somebody following me from a distance.

* * *

**Dun, dun, dun! **

**As for a tribute getting struck by lightning, you will find out why during the _Catching Fire _segment.**


	11. A Violent Victory

I immediately take the dart gun from my holster and point it at the direction of the footsteps. My eyes look intently into the eyepiece, my fingers ready to pull the trigger and lodge a poisonous dart into a vital area.

My heart beats erratically as this person moves slowly through the bushes.

"Come out so I can see you!" I shout, as I felt the prickly sensation of another person coming within range. "I am armed and I have poisoned the darts that I have in my possession."

However, I just saw the girl from District 5 running from the bushes, tripping herself as she runs. What is she running from? The Careers? Mutts?

Unfortunately, my guess about Mutts is confirmed when I hear deep, unsettling growling from the bushes. I put the dart gun back in the holster and take out the collapsible spear handle of the spear I got at the Cornucopia, I elongate the handle, and inserted the spearhead into the top end.

Slowly, a tiger comes into view. No, not a normal tiger but more specifically, a tiger Muttation, for it was two times larger than tigers are actually. When it approaches closer, I notice that the back ends of the teeth are jagged, like a serrated knife.

I could feel my eyes widen like saucers, the blood is pounding through my ears as I slowly back away. I'm sure the Gamemakers are keeping their eyes on the screen. They are probably putting this particular moment on television as I speak.

The tiger Mutt circles me, that unsettling growl escaping his teeth again. I slowly keep backing away, as it might attack me if I turn my back, it might attack me, but Mutts are different than normal predators from the wild.

As I expect, it leaps on me, leaving gashes on my arm in the process. Before the Mutt decides to rip a chunk out of my face, it performs another number on my left leg below my knee before I impale the spear in its abdomen. It gives a sharp cry as I get out of there.

I feel the blood pouring from my arm and leg as I run that I decide to stop and try to tend my wounds. I hastily take unzip my jacket, throw it off and unzip my backpack to grab the first-aid kit. I first pay attention to my arm, cleaning the wound with a alcohol strip before dipping the bandages into healing cream before applying them on my shoulder. I do the same to my knee.

It hurts like hell when I try to clean the wounds and apply the healing cream coated bandages on the wound.

When I get back on my feet and try to continue on walking, my left leg hurts with each step I take, that I limp.

My father still has scars from his Games when he got attacked by one of the lynx Mutts. The jagged scar goes down his back, in jagged lines, though they have been obviously retouched by his prep team. I know this as I seen him take off his shirt before bed, as I walked by mom and dad's room at times.

Dad says that they only retouch scars, not remove them, as to remind the Capitol and Panem of that struggle that gave the scars. It's another reason why the victors never can recover from the trauma of the Games.

I stop again for a moment, this time to cry my eyes out. Curse the Capitol. Curse President Snow. Everyone in the Capitol can die from a horrible death, I don't care. The people in the Capitol don't want their children to be in these things. Why are they condoning these atrocities?

Kids in my district and the other two Career districts had been force-fed arsenic and were told it was sugar when they were taught about the Games at school. The girls at my school want to win the Games as life being a victor will rock, unaware of what would most likely happen after they leave the arena.

It starts to sprinkle and the rain mingles with my tears.

Just then, the sound of the cannon is heard through the arena. Ten minutes later, it sounds through the arena again.

It sounds for a third time after two minutes, narrowing the numbers of the tributes down to three.

Earlier today, there was just me, the Career Pack, the girl from District 5, and the girl from District 11. 5 cannons sounded today, indicating that the Career Pack must have turned on each other.

* * *

That night, I pay close attention to the faces of the days' fallen tributes. I'm shocked to see Shiner's face appear first before it shows Lucius's face. I see Tanya's and Frennic's faces before it shows the girl from District 11 before the sky grows dark again.

So, it's just me, Severina, and the girl from District 5. How lovely.

Famished, I eat the bread from my district that I received last night. The bread is not hot as it was when I received it, though I'm glad that to taste something from my district, as it could be very well my last time I eaten something from home.

* * *

On the fifth day of the Hunger Games, the cannon doesn't fire. I spent the entire day walking through the arena. This arena may be vast but it can't go on forever.

I take a rest every now and then, as my wounds slightly sting with searing pain at times when I walk. Unfortunately, that tiger Mutt could have gave me gashes deep enough that the healing cream wouldn't work like it's supposed to.

At dusk I find a tree to sleep in. I must have been asleep until the wee hours of the morning, as the sound of the cannon woke me up. I look up at the sky to see that it was the girl from District 5.

The finale is coming as there are only two tributes left standing: Severina Gleeson from District 2 and me.

The odds are clearly not in my favor, as Severina can be very lethal, as she can handle a ax with great agility and precision, and I remember that she possibly carved into the boy from District 6 with a knife, most likely to give the Capitol a show.

Severina is going to get the Victor's Crown, there is no doubt about that, given that District 2 tributes are extremely lethal at best.

* * *

On day six, I trudge through the steamy rainforest, my clothes sticking into my skin because of the sweat. Right now, every person in the Capitol is betting on who should be left standing while two districts watch the television screen in apprehension. In the plaza, both Severina's and my face will be on the screen, with our betting odds, number of bets, and our number of kills. Usually the tribute with the most kills will get the most bets.

If either of us lives, it makes no difference and no one really wins. Before the crowning, the Gamemakers and the trainers from the Training Center will go through the arena, basically to take notes and set up holographic screens at the scenes of the bloodiest moments. This arena will become a historic site for Capitol citizens to vacation in. A week after the crowning, the arena will be open to the public.

They say the food is delicious. Yeah, I hope that some Capitol citizens do not have the stomach to eat at the place where twenty-three children died and were forced to commit murder.

The Capitol is not a utopia like everyone thinks it is. It is the core of the dystopia that is infecting all of Panem. The reason is because of the glorification of violence. It's what they call _Panem et Circenses _or Bread and Circuses to put it in simpler terms. I learned about it in Ancient History back home in District 1. It is a metaphor for a superficial means of appeasement, and in return for full bellies and entertainment, the people have to give up their political responsibilities and their power.

To put the icing on the cake, it originated in a language labeled Latin about a very ancient city called Rome. I'm sure most of the districts have no idea about this, as the poorer the district, the basic the curricula.

Also, there is something about the poor districts getting the old textbooks while the schools in the Capitol, Districts 1, 2, and 4 get brand new textbooks. We have school buses as well.

With only two tributes left standing, I'm sure the Gamemakers want to go home soon enough, which means that they will try to herd us together at some point. I bet Severina's mentors hope for her to win, especially Enobaria, Severina's aunt.

It is now midday, and my legs hurt and ache from the steps I am taking. However, I have this feeling that Severina is close by, and is trying to conceal herself before she attacks.

I take my dart gun out of my holster and try to point it every possible angle where she might be coming from. If Severina is indeed close by, the screens in the Capitol and all of Panem will be split into two instead of the usual three panels, and the betting will become heavier. The mentors of the two surviving tributes will be watching the screen intently, hoping that the tribute from their district will be the one who will be left standing after the final bloody fight. Dad is probably pacing in the mentors' lounge, hoping that is will be me who will win. I'm sure he wants me to be the victor just so he could bring me back to District 1 after the crowning. He probably is ready to go home after four days of pre-arena events and six days of Games, and he probably is hoping to take me back home, just so he could have his whole family after this.

I'm sure that even the mentors, the ones who lost their tributes over the course of the six days, want to go home as well, but they have to stay here for the crowning and the Victory Banquet.

I want to win, just so I could go home and return to my own bed.

Through my peripheral vision, I see Severina stalking through the bushes, holding her ax, trying to look for the last remaining tribute. I have no doubt that she wants to go home like I do.

Unfortunately, the only way out of leaving the arena is to commit murder or get killed.

Once she is out of the bushes, she notices me, and as I expected, ran and threw her ax at the direction of my skull. However, I dodge the weapon and grab it by its handle before throwing it into the nearest tree trunk.

Rage is embedded in her features as she runs towards me. Before I could even shoot, she collides with me and topples me to the ground.

Now, she is eighteen years-old and is larger than me, which might put me in a disadvantage. She takes a knife from a vest around her rust red shirt and she could have slit my throat had I not grabbed the hilt of the knife and jabbed the blade straight into her left eye socket.

I through her off of me, and get on my feet. Even through blood is pouring out of her left eye socket, she pulls the knife out of the eye and proceeds to throw it at me.

I dodge the move and start shooting the poisonous darts in her body. She dodges one but the other three pierce her body. She falls to the ground convulsing and I find myself taking the bow from my backpack, whipping out a arrow from the quiver and I let the arrow fly straight into her chest.

I find myself shaking as I leave the scene.

Three. I killed three people. All in a matter of six days.

I hear the sound of the cannon followed by the sound of the trumpets.

"Ladies and gentlemen," announces Claudius Templesmith, "I am pleased to present the victor of the Seventy-third Hunger Games, Amethyst Walkrose, daughter of Brighton Walkrose, granddaughter of Opal Steinmann, and cousin of Cashmere and Gloss Mecuritte! I give you – the tribute of District One!"

I look up to see the hovercraft lowering down to take me from the arena. I actually find myself smiling and I hear and feel a laugh coming from my mouth. I'm alive.

Though I fear that I might be going off my rocker already.


	12. The End of it all or Not

I wince in pain as the prep team in a infirmary peel off the bandages from my arm, the medical staff looking through their planned procedures.

"Ooh, nasty," says Marcella, seeing the gashes on my arm. "They could need some retouching."

So I was to keep the scars? Well, no recovery for me.

"Ignatius," Beatrice asks one of the medical staff as she peels the bandages from my leg. "You think you would be able to modify her?"

Modify me? Like giving me implants on my breasts and implant gems on my body? Carve designs into my skin?

"Well, miss, Brighton Walkrose requested 'no' for such," said the member of the medical staff.

It relieves me that my dad interfered, though they are going to retouch my scars.

They give me anesthetic beforehand. When I awake, I notice that I am in the same room, though strapped to the bed, with a cloth over me, and my right arm has several tubes that extend into the wall behind me. I put my hands on the scar that runs down my shoulder to my elbow. They retouched it alright, but I flinch when I touch it.

My leg feels sensitive as well. I run my hands over my body. I'm don't feel emaciated but I probably lost some pounds over the last six days.

There is usually a lag of a few days between the end of the Games and the crowning so that they can put the starving, wounded mess of a person back together again. Cornelia is somewhere creating my wardrobe for public appearances. Dad, Elegance, and Helena are probably arranging the banquet for my sponsors and reviewing the questions for my final interview. Back home, District 1 is probably busy organizing the homecoming celebration. When the victor returns home to their district, there is a special dinner for the victor, the victor's family, their mentors, and escort at the Mayor's house, and afterwards, I will have to pay my respects to the family of the deceased district partner. They usually take the family to their new home in the Victor's Village afterwards but since dad is a victor, my family already lives in the Victor's Village. Most likely, me and my family will wave at the cameras before returning home. I'm sure my mom is probably organizing a private homecoming party.

The thought of home comforts me. I want to curl up in my own bed, back to familiar surroundings. My life will not be the same afterwards. I dread the day when President Snow might come to my house and want me to sell my body. According to Cashmere, it turns the clients on when they see the retouched scars on a victor's body.

Hopefully I do not get called on.

An Avox comes in my room every now and then to give me my food. The servings are small, as my stomach must have shrunk a few sizes. I eat my food slowly, as I don't want to risk getting sick.

The next day, I wake up to see that I am not connected to tubes anymore. I sit up and swing my legs around and in front of me, is the outfit I wore in the arena, freshly laundered. I gingerly put it on, cringing when pulling the avocado green shirt over my body. I flinch as well as I put the cargo pants over my legs.

I walk around the room, trying to find a door that leads out of here. The doors must to expertly concealed, as one opened when I passed by a wall. With uncertainty, I leave the room and into a hallway. I know that there has to be rooms behind the walls.

"Hello?" I ask with uncertainty. I look at the other side of the hallway and in a small chamber are Cornelia, Helena, Elegance, and dad.

"Dad!" I yell and I take off running at my team. I know I'm supposed to act composed and superior, as my reunion with my team will be on television, but seeing my dad is a welcome side of some normalcy that I might I have left. I launch myself into dad's arms, sobbing as he hugs me.

"You did great, sweetheart," said dad. After I separate from father, Helena rubs my head and says that I'm a gem.

Dad eventually puts his arm around my shoulders and guides me away from the cameras and guides me down a few passages to an elevator that leads up to the lobby of the Training Center. Off all the twenty-three kids housed here before the Games, I killed only three of them. Dad killed ten kids during his Hunger Games. I am haunted by the faces of those who will never see their parents and friends again. They will never be able to come back home to their home district.

Instead of going to the tribute elevator, I and my dad are escorted by Peacekeepers to a waiting car outside. Of course, tonight would have to be the night of my crowning as victor.

The car takes us to the Amphitheater, where we are greeted by my enthusiastic prep team. The three of them drag me away from dad and take me into one of the rooms behind the stage. They take care of my shower settings and once I'm squeaky clean, they begin working on me, making my skin glow as it did the night of the interview. Marcella gives me pedicures and manicures before painting my nails red. Beatrice puts periwinkle eye shadow on my eyelids before painting my lips with glossy red lipstick. Glaucia curls my dark blonde hair and she sets diamonds and amethyst pins in my hair as well.

Then, Cornelia comes in, holding what appears to be dress and when she removes the garment bag, I mentally cringe: a red sleeveless strapless dress, with the bodice having diamonds in the center and the skirt is made out of chiffon.

They pull the dress on me and give me red, high heels to go with this dress. I look into the mirror, feeling hopeless. The scars running down from my shoulder to my arm could be easily seen, the dress is low cut, which adds to my discomfort and the skirt is translucent, as my legs could be seen easily.

The skin around the scars of my leg is sensitive as it is and chiffon is not a good material to have on bare legs. It feels very unnerving to have your scars showcased to the masses in the Capitol.

A few minutes later I'm lead to a room below the stage and instructed to stand on a plate which will lift me up into the stage. Once I'm left alone, I'm free to think before I'm introduced. When I arrive back home in District 1, my life will never be the same after this. I'm going to be plagued by nightmares every night. I never hear of dad thrashing in his sleep, but that was because he volunteered at eighteen, fully prepared by what he will face, since he was a Career.

The victors from the poorer districts are more likely to go mad, lose themselves in alcohol and morphing, and get post-traumatic stress disorder while victors from the Career Districts seem to cope better. The exception is Annie Cresta from District 4, as dad says he has seen her go off in her own world when he sees her in the Capitol during events. Witnessing your district partner getting beheaded will do that to someone. The District 2 victors are hardened, perhaps more hardened then the other victors. Dad says that Brutus is trying to keep a low profile after his nephew got killed in the 66th Hunger Games, and Lyme, who won in the 45th Hunger Games, two years before Brutus, is keeping a low profile as well, after a scandal about her involved in some sort of resistance against the Capitol.

Finnick is unable to keep a low profile because the Capitol can't get enough of him. The poor chap will probably stay in the Capitol for a few months.

When the Training Center is not housing tributes before the Games, it serves as a functioning brothel housing victors when they are being rented by wealthy clientele. Cashmere and Gloss stay in the Training Center when they get rented out by Capitol citizens. All the victors stay in their respective district apartments.

I'm going to try to keep a low profile once I leave the Capitol, but I'm sure President Snow might think otherwise as he might have unsettling plans for me.

I hear the anthem blare and Caesar Flickerman greets the audience with his usual enthusiasm. The first people introduced are my prep team. I can easily see Marcella, Beatrice, and Glaucia doing ridiculous bobbing bows. Then Helena's introduced. I'm sure she is taking it all in, as it was just four years since someone from District 1 won. Cornelia receives huge cheers. I could hardly fathom why the Capitol would love the ridiculous outfits she created for me. Dad and Elegance's appearances brings rounds of stomping, whistling, and cheering that goes on at least ten minutes. Since they're from District 1, the Capitol admires them.

I force a smile as the plate lifts me up to the stage.

The lights are blinding and the deafening roar rattles the stage under my feet. I just smile, wave, and blow kisses at the cheering masses. I'm relieved when dad escorts me to the ornate, red velvet gilt-edged chair, where the victors sit when watching the highlights.

I cross my ankles and put my arms on the armrests, doing my best to look comfortable and at home.

Caesar Flickerman makes a few more jokes, and then it's time for the show. This will be exactly three hours and is required viewing for all of Panem. I get a nauseated feeling in my stomach as the lights dim and the seal appears. I killed three out of my twenty-three fellow tributes and witnessed another death, and I don't want to see _**all**_of them die. During the highlights, they periodically show the victor's reaction up on a box in the corner of the screen. I must give appropriate reactions, as one single misstep could signify a rebellion.

Condensing six days into three hours would be a feat, considering when you know how many cameras were going at once. Usually the editors choose footage involving the victors while inserting shots of tributes dying in between.

They first show the reapings, from all twelve districts. When they show District 1, they show me volunteering for Silk and Shiner volunteers before Helena could even finish reading the slip in her hands. After the reapings, the editors cut right into the chariot ride through the city. I do a facepalm when I see me and Shiner wearing those ridiculous costumes. They then show my training score before cutting into the interviews. Since I won, it shows my exchange with Caesar Flickerman in full while the deceased get only thirty seconds.

Once were in the arena, there's a detailed coverage of the bloodbath and the filmmakers basically alternate shots of tributes dying and shots of me. After a shot of me going through my backpack, they show the Career pack sorting through their hoard of items from the Cornucopia. That night, as I suspected, Shiner impales the girl from District 12 with his sword.

On day two, they show me killing the boy from District 7, followed by footage of the boy from District 12 running from a tiger Mutt. He makes it out okay. Unfortunately, they showcase the bloody death of the boy from District 6 in full.

On day three, the girl from District 9 gets mauled to death by another tiger Mutt and most shocking of all, the boy from District 12 dies from being struck by lightning. Something is missing as regards to him getting struck by lightning. The Gamemakers can't just kill a tribute unless they had a "reason" to. My reaction in the box looks puzzled and suspicious. My best hope is that the president doesn't notice it, though it might be in vain. The third day is wrapped up with the Careers killing the girl from District 3.

Day four seems to be the bloodiest out of all of them. Frennic and Tanya cornered the girl from District 11, who killed Tanya using a poisonous dart from a blow gun and Frennic kills the girl from District 11 in a fit of rage.

It later cuts to my altercation with the tiger Mutt. It looks quick and it shows me limping away from the Mutt's corpse after I impale it with a spear. It soon cuts to the Career pack, who are arguing over the rationing of supplies at the Cornucopia. Frennic tries to defuse the fight and Shiner impales him with his sword. He later kills Lucius. Severina lets out a scream of rage before throwing the ax in Shiner's skull, killing him.

It skips the fifth day and in the wee hours of the morning of day six, it shows the girl from District 5 getting killed in combat with Severina, leaving me and Severina to vie for the crown.

It shows the bloody details of the finale in full. I mentally wince, as I watch myself stab Severina in the eye socket before killing her with the darts and a arrow. It's like I was watching another person in this instead of me. The show ends as usual, with the trumpets and the announcement of my victory.

I rise as the anthem starts playing again and President Snow himself takes the stage followed by a little girl, possibly one of his granddaughters, carrying a cushion that holds the crown. He lifts the crown from the cushion and places it on top of my head. He's smiling as he crowns me but his eyes are reproachful, like I committed a minor offense to the Capitol.

He saw my reaction to the death of the boy from District 12 and is probably pondering how to punish me for it.

Much bowing and cheering follows. My arm is about to fall off from waving when Caesar Flickerman finally bids the audience goodnight, and as if they have a choice, reminds them to tune in for the final interview.

I'm whisked to the president's mansion for the Victory Banquet, where I have very little time to eat as Capitol officials and the sponsors elbow one another out of the way as they try to get their picture with me. It grows tiresome, seeing beaming face after beaming face. I just want to get out of here and go to sleep. However, I just keep smiling as the cameras flash.

The sun is just peeking over the horizon as me and my company straggles back to the District 1 apartment above the Training Center. I shower before collapsing on my bed, trying not to sleep on the scarred region of my shoulder and I sleep until Helena comes in with a "We have a very busy day!"

The prep team works on me, making me look pleasing for the audience and fortunately, the dress that Cornelia made for my final interview is not as flashy and revealing as my other two outfits. It's a pink satin dress, and innocent looking as well, with puffed short sleeves and the skirt going down five inches below the knees.

* * *

"So, this is a second victory in the Walkrose name?" asks Caesar Flickerman. The interview is taking place in the sitting room of the apartment, instead of it being live.

"Of course, Caesar," I tell him. "My cousins' family has two victories as well."

"Yes, since Cashmere and Gloss won back to back," said Caesar Flickerman. "Aside from your father, how does your entire family view your victory?"

"I'm sure my mother, my siblings, and my cousins are very proud of me," I say truthfully.

"Hopefully we'll see another victory in the Walkrose name for years to come," said Caesar.

I secretly hope that my siblings to do not volunteer. While Onyx is out of the reaping system and cannot volunteer after this year, Glimmer, Emerald, and Splendor are still eligible. Glimmer will be seventeen next year and the twins will the thirteen. Sapphire will reach eligibility for the third Quarter Quell, the 75th Anniversary of these sick death games and whatever the theme, I hope that she does not get reaped.

If the odds were in my favor, it doesn't mean that the odds will be in my siblings' favors. Cashmere and Gloss won in consecutive Games because they were both fully prepared and were both good with knives. Glimmer, unfortunately, would not stand against Mutt attacks even if she thought she was very prepared for the Games.

I exchange some banters with Caesar before he times out and the cameras stop rolling. It's not long before I go to my room and collect the meager belongings I brought with me, when I noticed the amethyst broach sitting on the stand next to my bed. Someone was actually thoughtful enough to give it back to me during the Games.

They drive me through the city in a car with blackened windows, and the train's waiting for me. It won't be until January when the Victory Tour will start, and I'm not looking forward to it. I don't want to see the relatives of the dead tributes, who probably hate me because I survived, and their children, siblings, classmates, friends, and relatives didn't, and I can't blame them for it.

The train begins moving and I'm plunged into night until we clear the tunnel. Fortunately, I have dad accompanying me back home, along with Elegance and Helena, who is constantly babbling about getting a promotion to assistant manager of the Tribute Escort Service.

It only takes an hour for the train to reach District 1, where I wave and smile at the citizens, the cameras on me. I'm careful with what I do because the Capitol might use it against me.

Dad guides me through the crowd and we approach my car holding the rest of my family to take us to the Mayor's House.


End file.
